Short term discipline

The term short-term discipline (also sprint discipline ) is used in competitive sports for disciplines that are completed at high, i.e. almost maximum speed and consequently require a different type of athlete than the so-called endurance disciplines . Since high and maximum speeds in sports such as running, cycling, swimming, rowing, speed skating, etc. require the athlete to mobilize great forces and thus the fast-twitching muscle fibers , the provision of energy in such sports is shifted far into the anaerobic area, which is why such performances are always only over can be provided for a short time .

The term applies to all sprint disciplines of the sports mentioned, but is explicitly used primarily in track cycling . The individual disciplines are usually referred to as sprints , there are special names in track cycling, where the traditional name " aviator race " is still used . In addition, the term sprint is often used for disciplines (e.g. in cross-country skiing) that clearly belong to the endurance disciplines, but differ significantly from the longest disciplines in this sport due to the length of the route.