Why Athletes Get Slower During the Season

the rack front door

(and How to Stop It)

Every season starts the same way. Athletes feel fast, explosive, and strong during preseason. But as the weeks go on, something changes. Sprint times slow down, jumps feel harder, and movements that once felt sharp begin to feel heavy.

Most athletes assume this is just part of being “in season.” In reality, it’s not. The real reason athletes get slower during the season is a loss of strength and power due to reduced training—and it’s preventable.

Speed Is Built on Strength

Speed isn’t just about running fast. It’s the ability to apply force into the ground quickly and repeatedly. That force comes from strength in the hips, legs, and core.

When in-season training shifts to only practices and games, strength training often gets removed or watered down. Over time, the body adapts to the reduced stimulus. Strength decreases, power output drops, and sprint mechanics become less efficient. The result is slower acceleration, reduced top speed, and less pop in game situations.

Practice Alone Doesn’t Maintain Speed

Sport practice is important, but it doesn’t replace structured strength or speed training. Practices involve a lot of skill work, tactical instruction, and moderate-intensity movement. They rarely provide enough high-force output or maximal sprinting to maintain speed qualities.

Without continued exposure to heavy lifting and fast sprinting, the nervous system loses its ability to fire at high levels. This is why athletes can feel conditioned but still slow as the season goes on.

What Happens When Strength Training Stops

When strength training is removed entirely, measurable performance losses can occur in just a few weeks:

  • Decreased acceleration and first-step quickness
  • Lower jump height and explosiveness
  • Reduced ability to decelerate and change direction
  • Increased fatigue late in games

These changes don’t just hurt performance—they increase injury risk, especially as athletes get tired and movement quality declines.

How to Stop the Speed Drop

The solution isn’t more conditioning or longer practices. It’s intentional in-season strength and speed maintenance.

Two short strength sessions per week are often enough to maintain strength levels. These sessions should focus on:

  • Lower-body strength
  • Explosive movements
  • Core stability
  • Low volume, high-quality execution

In addition, at least one dedicated speed exposure per week—short sprints at near-max intensity—helps preserve top-end speed and nervous system readiness.

This approach doesn’t overload athletes. Instead, it keeps the engine running while allowing recovery between games.

Athletes don’t get slower during the season because they’re playing too much. They get slower because they stop training the qualities that made them fast in the first place.

With the right balance of strength training, sprint exposure, and recovery, athletes can stay fast, explosive, and resilient from the first game to the last.

Speed is a quality that must be trained—even in season.

Matthew Walcott

B.S., CPPS, BPS, FRCms, CPT

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