How to Move Your Legs Fast in Sports

In sports, speed often determines who wins and who loses. Preparation, in the days leading up and directly prior to competition, is vital in getting your legs to move as fast as they can. According to sports performance expert Wayne Goldsmith, "The most important principle in competitive sport is that you as an individual must out-prepare . . . your opponent." In addition to advance preparation, you can employ techniques during the game or race competition to get your legs moving at top speed.

Things You'll Need

  • Athletic apparel or loose, comfortable clothes
  • Athletic footwear
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Instructions

  1. Advance Preparation

    • 1

      Eat foods such as oatmeal, whole-wheat breads and pastas, and quinoa, to load carbohydrates. Eat foods including bananas, kiwis, avocados and mangoes, or drink tomato or prune juice to load potassium.

    • 2

      Rest and train lightly two to three days preceding your competition.

    • 3

      Hydrate with mostly water (avoid sugary sports drinks).

    Day of Competition

    • 4

      Warm up by lightly jogging 400 to 800 meters.

    • 5

      Stretch and perform warm-up drills including lunges, reverse-lunges, rhythm high-knees, fast high-knees, butt-kicks, side shuffles, skips-for-height, skips-for-speed and carioca. Do not rush through stretching. Stretch all parts of your body, not just your legs.

    • 6

      Run full speed directly prior to your competition by completing three to four accelerators. Run each over a distance of 40 to 50 meters. Accelerate to 70 to 75 percent of your full speed on the first accelerator. Accelerate to 85 to 90 percent full speed on the second. Accelerate to full speed on the third or fourth.

    During Competition

    • 7

      Run relaxed. Do not strain: It can slow you down.

    • 8

      Run and cut on the balls of your feet, never on your heels.

    • 9

      Keep your feet moving by using quick, choppy steps when changing directions (if your sport requires it), allowing you do so more quickly.

    • 10

      Eliminate wasted motion by running in a linear motion. Avoid throwing your arms across your body as you run.