For my continuous assessment I have chosen to research a 100 metre sprinter. I will describe the physiological demands required for the sport, look at the different innovations in my chosen sport and how they have improved world record holders and athletes, and finally I will discuss the issue of drugs and ergogenic aids in that sport.
Physiological Demands of a 100m sprinter:
To satisfy the energy requirements of the body, there are three processes that have to operate together. The first process/step to satisfy the energy requirements is the splitting of phosphocreatine (PCr) which provides the immediate energy in the starting stages of intense exercise along with adenosine triphosphate (ATP). (Physiological …show more content…
(McArdle, Katch and Katch, 2004). Speed is essential for a 100m sprinter as the faster you are the more likely you are to win the race. Like many other components of fitness speed can be trained by simply doing short snappy sprints. To progress a 100m sprinters speed other than doing short sprints equipment such as sleds and parachutes can be used for resistance and to build up power.
It is important to have strength to properly execute a sprinters run and posture while running. (100 Meter Sprinting Vs A Marathon: Comparing Metabolic Demands & Energy!, 2010). This is particularly important when the sprinter is getting out of the blocks at the start of the race and when he needs to keep his form and speed at the end of the race when the athlete begins to tire. All strength work can be carried out in the gym where the main focus is working on the legs and core muscle groups along with upper body for the arm swing. The athletes posture/position while running is key to their performance as a nice upright position will ensure that the athlete has a nice strong stride when …show more content…
These drugs are taken for a variety of reasons, including to build muscle mass, dull pain, lower stress, and reduce weight. A great deal of controversy surrounds these drugs, and their use is a major concern among professional sporting associations worldwide. (What are Performance Enhancing Drugs?, 2016)
An example of high profile athletes using enhancement drugs were Ma’s Army in the Olympics.
“In 1993, a Chinese squad of female runners coached by Ma Junren won six of a possible nine medals at the world championships in Stuttgart. Shortly thereafter, one of Ma’s runners took a 41.9 second chunk out of the 10,000m world record, though she ranked only 56th in the event a year earlier. Skeptics cried steroids, but before drug use could be verified, Ma’s runners mutinied, sick of his masochistic workouts and lifestyle demands. China withdrew six of Ma’s runners (in addition to 21 other members of China’s Olympic team) from the 2000 Sydney Olympics before they could compete, presumably because China feared the athletes would test positive for EPO.” (The Top 10 Running Doping Scandals of All Time | Competitor.com,