SCS Speed & Agility Development 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which muscle action type dominates the support phase of ground contact during maximum velocity sprinting?
- Pure concentric contraction
- Isometric-dominant stiffness via SSC (Correct answer)
- Pure eccentric contraction
- Isotonic lengthening only
Correct answer: Isometric-dominant stiffness via SSC
During the brief support phase, muscles act isometrically and via the stretch-shortening cycle to store and release elastic energy.
Question 2: In agility training, 'perceptual-cognitive' speed refers to:
- Raw 40-yard dash time
- The ability to read cues and make fast, accurate movement decisions (Correct answer)
- Maximum stride frequency
- Foot contact time during a 10-yard split
Correct answer: The ability to read cues and make fast, accurate movement decisions
Perceptual-cognitive speed encompasses anticipation, pattern recognition, and decision-making speed that drives agility in open environments.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'stride frequency' in sprinting?
- Total distance covered per step
- The number of full stride cycles completed per second (Correct answer)
- The horizontal distance between foot contacts
- The angle of lean at initial acceleration
Correct answer: The number of full stride cycles completed per second
Stride frequency (steps/sec or strides/sec) measures how rapidly an athlete cycles through full stride cycles.
Question 4: A sports conditioning specialist programs overspeed treadmill training. The maximum speed increase over unassisted sprint speed should generally not exceed:
- 5–10% (Correct answer)
- 20–25%
- 30–35%
- 50%
Correct answer: 5–10%
Overspeed stimuli above ~10% of maximal sprinting speed disrupt mechanics and increase injury risk without meaningful adaptation.
Question 5: The Illinois Agility Test primarily assesses:
- Maximal straight-line speed only
- Combined acceleration, deceleration, and multi-directional COD ability (Correct answer)
- Reactive decision-making to visual cues
- Aerobic capacity under intermittent conditions
Correct answer: Combined acceleration, deceleration, and multi-directional COD ability
The Illinois Agility Test involves forward running, tight turns around cones, and directional changes to assess multi-directional agility.
Question 6: When planning a speed session, total high-quality sprint volume for an intermediate athlete typically falls in the range of:
- 50–100 m per session
- 800–1200 m per session
- 200–400 m per session (Correct answer)
- 2000 m+ per session
Correct answer: 200–400 m per session
Approximately 200–400 m of maximal-intensity sprint volume per session allows quality work without mechanical breakdown.
Question 7: Ankle stiffness at ground contact during sprinting is primarily important because it:
- Increases stride length by extending foot contact time
- Reduces energy leakage and allows rapid force transfer through the kinetic chain (Correct answer)
- Promotes pronation for shock absorption at top speed
- Decreases activation of the posterior chain muscles
Correct answer: Reduces energy leakage and allows rapid force transfer through the kinetic chain
A stiff ankle acts as a rigid lever, minimizing elastic energy loss and enabling efficient force transmission from foot to ground.
SCS Speed & Agility Development 4
Which muscle action type dominates the support phase of ground contact during maximum velocity sprinting?