Sprint Science: Stuart McMillan's Guide to Athletic Speed
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Yesterday at Malibu High School, Huberman and McMillan observed kids running around the track. McMillan immediately spotted one young runner who stood out from the rest – not because of perfect form, but because of how efficiently he interacted with the ground. “It was just pop, pop, pop,” McMillan explained. “I hear it before I see it.” This quality distinguishes elite athletes across all sports – they make everything look effortless.
When identifying athletes’ ideal events, McMillan emphasized that young runners should try many different distances and disciplines before specializing. Even at the college level, many sprinters compete in multiple events. It often takes years for athletes to discover their true calling, as with British sprinter Jody Williams, who dominated 100m and 200m races as a youth but didn’t find her greatest success until switching to the 400m in her twenties.
The conversation turned to genetics in sprinting. McMillan acknowledged the clear genetic components: “If you don’t have the genetic capacity to run fast, you won’t run fast.” Factors like limb length, joint structure, muscle fiber type, and tendon length all play crucial roles. However, environment remains equally important. In Jamaica, for example, the annual high school championships called “Champs” creates incredible pressure and excitement that helps develop world-class sprinters.
Regarding training, McMillan explained that sprinting comes down to four elements: how much force you apply to the ground, how quickly you apply it, the direction of the force, and your body mass. While strength is important, its benefits diminish at higher levels. Elite sprinters like Andre de Grasse have achieved Olympic medals with relatively modest strength numbers, while others like Ben Johnson were extraordinarily strong.
Rather than bilateral exercises like traditional squats, McMillan prefers staggered stance positions that better mimic running mechanics. He focuses on specific isometric exercises that strengthen the precise positions used in sprinting, along with movements that develop the body’s fascial connections from one side to the other.
McMillan posed a thought-provoking question: “Is there a single metric that better determines overall health or vitality than the ability to maximally sprint?” This ability represents not just speed but a complex coordination of many physical systems. The conversation concluded with reflections on the balance between exerting pressure – pushing yourself in training or competition – and finding peace through that expression of effort.