Dunking a basketball is one of the most captivating things you can do as an athlete, especially if you’re under 6 feet tall. Anyone who’s ever played basketball has likely fantasized at least once about what it would be like to dunk during a game. The only problem is less than 1% of people in the world can probably dunk. In this post we’re gonna dive into the science to understand if sprinting can help you dunk.

Just as thrilling as dunking a basketball is, so is crossing the finish line in first place. It’s well documented in multiple research papers there’s a strong correlation between fast sprint times and a high vertical jump. This includes a countermovement jump, where the athlete drops their body weight before jumping into the air, and also a squat jump, where the athlete jumps from a static squat position. Although correlation does not mean causation, there are several logical reasons why we could argue that improved sprinting leads to improved jumping. Let’s take a look at some of the key characteristics behind a significant vertical:

1. The ability to produce a high amount of force in a short amount of time.
2. A high amount of fast twitch fibers present in the athlete.
3. Triple extension at the ankle, knee and hip joints.

These are all the same characteristics behind fast sprint times. Sprinting requires you to put a high amount of force into the ground in a short period of time. Sprinting is a fast twitch movement and every push off during the sprint requires extension at the hip, knee and ankle.

Also, if we’re to conduct a lab study with two of the most explosive athletes in the world, for example Asafa Powell who has an amazing block start, and Michael Jordan who is known for flying in the air, we would likely find that both of their bodies are very effective at using the stretch and shortening cycle (SSC). If you’re familiar with sports science, then you already know what this is. This is when a muscle is rapidly lengthened before rapidly shortened much like a rubber band. The SSC is believed to improve performance by:

1. First storing elastic energy during the lengthening phase.
2. Then releasing it during the shortening phase through the stretch reflex.

The science suggests that the more you train this mechanism, the more effective it becomes at both storing and activating this energy. The most popular way of training the stretch and shortening cycle is typically through various jump exercises, also known as plyometrics.

But the SSC also occurs during other movements such as sprinting. Every single time the foot strikes the ground, the body is using the stretch and shortening cycle in the leg muscles to hit the ground and push off. According to research, to improve vertical jump performance, a combination of plyometrics and weight training is ideal. Both of these methods are used in standard sprint training.

With that being said, from what we understand looking at basketball is a lot more than just having a high vertical jump. It also tells having correct jump technique, controlling your body in the air and gripping the ball securely. May be tough for a person below 6 feet but not impossible. There’s plenty of videos on youtube alone where guys are 5´5″ successfully dunking. We´re not implying that sprint training should replace a program designed to specifically improve your vertical jump. If that is your main goal you can check out someone like PJFPerformance. What I am saying is that improving your vertical jump is potentially an additional benefit of sprint training along with a ton of other benefits which are even more valuable that you can read by clicking here. It covers the top 7 benefits of sprinting.

Bibliographic references:

• Palacios C. [The Sprint Project]. (2021). Can Sprinting Help You Dunk? (SCIENCE EXPLAINED) [Video]. Recovered from https://youtu.be/izyDCwFHURU?si=_A1zbE3oBJsgOy1y
• Bret, C., Rahmani, A., Dufour, A. B., Messonnier, L., & Lacour, J. R. (2002). Leg strength and stiffness as ability factors in 100 m sprint running. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 42(3), 274–281.
• Kale, M., Aşçi, A., Bayrak, C., & Açikada, C. (2009). Relationships among jumping performances and sprint parameters during maximum speed phase in sprinters. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 23(8), 2272–2279. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b3e182
• Kukolj, M., Ropret, R., Ugarkovic, D., & Jaric, S. (1999). Anthropometric, strength, and power predictors of sprinting performance. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 39(2), 120–122.