Speed is one of the basic motor characteristics. In certain sports disciplines, it is the defining component.
What is quickness?
Speed belongs to the basic motor properties. In certain sports disciplines, it is the defining component. In sports science, speed is counted among the basic motor properties, along with strength, endurance, coordination and agility. It can be divided into 2 components, the action and the reaction speed. The differentiation to speed strength, which describes an aspect of strength and is sometimes defined similarly, is made by the amount of resistance. Accordingly, action speed is described as the ability to perform movement sequences at low resistance with maximum possible speed. Reaction speed is characterized by an individual’s ability to respond as quickly as possible to a stimulus with a movement action. Movements performed at maximum speed are only possible over a short period of time. This is because the stores that provide the necessary energy have only small capacities. No other physical performance component is as genetically determined as speed. It can be improved by intensive training only 15%-20%. In addition to inherited ability, peak performance depends on various biological and physiological prerequisites and technically correct execution, which in turn requires good coordination skills.
Function and task
In everyday life, speed plays a role in escape and protective reactions. In contrast to protective reflexes, these are conscious sequences of actions that are set in motion after the perception of a dangerous situation. Local reactions only affect reaction speed. An example of this is the pulling back of the hand or leg when a dog wants to bite. In addition, action speed is also required when a large animal attacks from a certain distance. Escape as a protective response can only be successful if it is done with the greatest possible speed. Many sports include speed as a partial aspect of the movement action, others are completely characterized by it. For a better distinction, speed is divided into 2 aspects in this context. Speed in acyclic movements refers to single movements. Such a single action is for example the serve in tennis, the smash in volleyball or the jump shot in handball. Immediately after the stroke, the quickness action is finished and is followed by an activity with a different form of stress, for example, landing with the short-term assumption of a stable position. Speed in cyclic movements is characterized by completing the same repetitive movement sequences at maximum speed. All athletic sprint activities fall into this category; in athletics as well as in swimming or track cycling. The execution of such speed requirements is limited in time, since the energy stored in the muscle cells (ATP memory and KP memory) is only sufficient for a few seconds. Well-trained athletes can perform this speed performance for a maximum of 40 seconds, which is roughly equivalent to a 400-meter sprint in track and field. After that, not so much energy can be delivered per unit of time. The movement speed must therefore be reduced and the athlete slips into the range of speed endurance. Many sports include portions of acyclic and cyclic speed. The degree of speed an athlete can achieve, while dependent on an intact nerve-muscle system and training condition, is largely determined by the fiber composition in the muscle. There are fast twitch fibers (FT muscle fibers) and slow twitch fibers (ST muscle fibers) that are present in the muscle in a genetically determined ratio that can be influenced only slightly by training. The higher the proportional amount of FT fibers, the better the conditions for peak speed performance.
Diseases and ailments
The ability to perform movements at the highest possible speed is directly related to the integrity of the musculature and nervous system. Even small disturbances prevent peak performance.Minimal injuries such as muscle strains cause a bright, acute pain with each contraction, which does not allow the continuation of fast movements. With larger injuries such as muscle fiber or bundle tears, but also with meniscus lesions and ligament tears, the same problem arises, but often gradually more severe. Movements are then only possible slowly, if at all. Even the micro-injuries responsible for muscle soreness limit the speed of movement. Signs of wear and tear such as hip and knee arthrosis impair leg speed in various ways. On the one hand, the musculature breaks down in the course of the disease process and performance decreases. On the other hand, movement restrictions occur that reduce the movement amplitude of the legs, which leads to a decrease in movement speed at the same movement frequency. The muscles can only perform at maximum speed if they get enough energy in a short time. Metabolic diseases such as diabetes impair precisely this process. The uptake of glucose into the muscle cells is impeded. As a result, ATP stores can no longer be replenished quickly enough after physical activity, and speed performance is no longer possible or only possible for a shorter time. Muscles need nerve stimuli to drive their activity. If these are absent or are only attenuated, there is no or only a reduced contraction. This has negative effects on all conditional abilities, including speed. The nerves can be damaged as a result of such injuries or diseases, which either affect the conductivity or the generation of impulses in the central nervous system. In both cases, this is associated with a significant loss of muscle function. Peripheral lesions caused by injury or the breakdown of the insulating layer of nerve fibers, as in polyneuropathy, cause complete or incomplete loss of muscle function. In the best case, residual functions are then still present, but rapid peak performance is no longer possible. Diseases of the brain such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, or other ataxic diseases primarily affect coordination, but nevertheless also impair the other basic motor properties.
