Sprint Speed Adaptations in Elite Soccer Players: Are Improvements Greater Over Longer Distances?

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ABSTRACT: Loturco, I, Pereira, LA, Mercer, VP, Oliveira, LP, Moura, TBMA, Tavares, LD, and Requena, B. Sprint speed adaptations in elite soccer players: Are improvements greater over longer distances? J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2026-This study aimed to examine whether improvements in sprint speed are greater over longer (20 m) than over shorter sprint distances (10 m) in soccer players exposed to different training interventions. A retrospective pooled longitudinal design was adopted using raw data from 11 training interventions conducted over the past 8 years. A total of 248 soccer players from professional clubs competing in the first and second divisions of the Brazilian Championship participated in the study. Players completed various training programs lasting from 4 to 8 weeks, which occurred during either preseason or in-season periods, including resistance training, resisted sprinting, and mixed-method training schemes. Sprint speed over 10 and 20 m was assessed before and after the interventions. Pre- to postassessment comparisons were performed using paired t-tests; effect sizes (ES) were calculated according to Rhea's thresholds for highly trained athletes. Sprint speed increased significantly at both distances (10 m:+0.52%, p = 0.007, ES = 0.16; 20 m:+0.90%, p < 0.001, ES = 0.29). Although the magnitude of change was trivial at both distances, the improvement in 20-m speed was 75% greater than that observed over 10 m. Coefficients of variation remained low (∼5%), indicating a homogeneous sample of highly trained players. These findings suggest that soccer players experience extremely limited sprint-specific adaptations, particularly during the acceleration phase. However, longer sprint distances (20 m) appear to be more responsive to training than short-distance accelerations (<10 m). As such, practitioners should have realistic expectations about sprint performance improvements in soccer players and should focus on prescribing low-volume and high-velocity training strategies to optimize stretch-shortening cycle efficiency and rapid force production.

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