Title: How much do track spikes improve times in the sprints? - Freelap USA
Headings: How much do track spikes improve times in the sprints?
How much do track spikes improve times in the sprints?
Anatomy of a Track Spike
Measuring Spikes and Sprinting Speed
What Sport Science Discovered with Track Spikes and Speed
The Spike Test Results
How to pick the right pair of spikes
References

Content: Wearing spikes all the time may not be a good idea from a health perspective, but competing and doing fast workouts with them is a compromise that is a must if one wants to be competitive. What we do know is that spikes do change the way the joints of the foot work, but the performance advantages are worth anything that may occur unnaturally [3]. How to pick the right pair of spikes
Each year when the various shoe catalogs come out, athletes rush to see the latest developments in spikes and most of the changes are in fact cosmetic , not functional. When we see the latest spike model, we usually see a new strip of material here, a change in pattern there, but the spike is going to be nearly the same as the previous year when you remove the style components. Most spikes being similar because the variables are limited to weight, hardness, and limited spike distribution, that comfort is important and they should feel good on the body when sprinting. Most athletes except of the most elite sprinter will not have customized spikes based on the shape and function of the foot, so different pairs should be experimented with. Some athletes benefit with some minor insertions of different materials like a pad or thin orthotics, but keep in mind the competition is wearing the same options so the true advantage is not likely to be coming from spike use. Whatever spike one is choosing, the key is not expecting an advantage over the competition, but the necessary advantage of choosing to have one instead of using a regular athletic shoe. If one is believing that a specific model is going to give them an advantage over another athlete, then one may want to rethink that strategy a little since most modern spikes are so similar that not much difference is going to manifest in races. Find a spike that works for you, and just remember to look for hard options that are lightweight.