Resisted sprint training outperformed unresisted training overall, with results varying by experience
A research synthesis favored resisted sprints, but the findings do not identify a single best load for every training level.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Resisted sprint training improved sprint performance more than unresisted training in the pooled comparison. Comparisons between loads also favored very heavy over light resistance. However, the advantage of heavier loads was clearer in trained groups, with no clear benefit for recreational groups. These results do not justify a universal loading prescription.
The abstract gives no confidence interval for the overall standardized effect or a common assessment timeframe. Results also varied with participants’ training experience and program characteristics.
What researchers found
Sprint performance
Resisted versus unresisted training across the included interventions; assessment timing was not reported. This standardized effect favored resisted training and had moderate evidence certainty.
Reading the pooled effect
The reported effect is a standardized difference between training groups, not a percentage improvement or a number of seconds saved. It summarizes sprint performance across studies, while the abstract leaves its overall precision unclear.
What load comparisons establish
Models comparing resistance loads favored very heavy over light resistance. This supports that specific contrast; separate findings that some loads were statistically significant against unresisted training cannot establish a complete ranking of every load.
The original publication
Effects of Resisted-Sprint Training on Sprint Performance and Mechanics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Focusing on Load Magnitude.
Xu K, Jukic I, Cross MR et al.
Scand J Med Sci Sports · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41384676
- Record checked
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