Does tilting your upper body forward add to your running speed?
accelerate308
Question:
Asked by accelerate308 - 5 answers - 3 years 46 weeks ago
Does tilting your upper body forward add to your running speed?
Coaches teach that tilting the upper body forward adds speed. The tilt is described two ways. 1. Bending at the hip. 2. Slanted in a straight line head to toe.
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1. Tilting your upper body forward from the hip has no effect on speed except on the first step when it pushes your upper body ahead faster than you could do from a standing upright stance. After the first step it is only how you work your balance with gravity that adds speed. You can tilt your upper body forward and stand still or even run backward.
2. Keeping your entire body slanted, head to toe at a straight line stance for an entire stride is impossible to do. The leg flexes forward and hyper extends backward during ground time.
First you must define speed - acceleration, max velocity or speed maintenance. Then the answer can be more fully answered.
During acceleration, forward lean from toe to shoulder is the most effective way to accelerate. The reason why athletes have forward lean is to break inertia to start the movement. It also helps direct the application of force through the ground contacts of the foot to the direction you intend to go. This is also critical for multi-directional ahtletes too.
Tilting at the hips is not the correct way of running at any distances. It not only slows you down, but puts unnecessary stress on the body.
Think of it like emptying a glass of water. There is no obstruction when you just empty the water. Now empty a glass of water down a slop. The water has to run down the slop and then to the ground. This will take longer of course because the distance has increased, and resistance is there.
Running works the same way. The response/reaction from the head to toe and toe to head will take longer to register to your brain if you are bending at the hips. Stay straight at all times. That is where running technique comes into affect. There should be a straight line from head to shoulder, to hip, to toe.
I use to run with the top of my body tilted & it did'nt help me speed but it helped me accelerate as it tensed all my shoulder muscles.
No it doesnt help only at the start it does.