COACHES' CORNER: Dr Liam Hennessyand Jim Kiltyof Setanta College, the institute of Strength and Conditioning, reveal the keys to running fast

SPRINTERS ARE born but can also be made. All sprinters or fast athletes share certain characteristics that can give us clues about how to become faster.

For example, not only can sprinters run fast, they can jump high and long. They tend to be lean and - would you believe it? - lazy. They can still run fast well into their 30s if they don't overdo it, and they tend to have aerobic fitness just above that of the average untrained person. So let us explain these distinguishing traits.

The sprinter can jump: If an athlete is naturally fast he will have the explosive qualities to score high in the "counter movement jump" and "standing long jump". Research shows the higher you can go in a vertical jump the faster you are likely to run.

This is why sprinters jump in training. Vertical and drop jumps (from a 30cm box for example) help improve reaction from the ground in sprinting. The better the athlete is at endurance events the lower he is likely to score on a jump test. So the advice here is to try to measure your vertical jump height and monitor it; as it improves so does your speed.

The sprinter is not fat: There are desirable levels of body fat based on the ranges common in elite athletes. Research shows reducing body fat improves acceleration and speed (but note the extreme lower ranges of body fat can be unhealthy even for athletes).

So if you have some body fat to lose, try to do so; even a little fat loss may mean greater speed.

The sprinter can be lazy: Have you ever noticed the fastest player on the team is often the one trailing as the squad punch in the repeat laps? Coaches have been known to dismiss these players as unfit. But speedsters really do not like the punishment of long training sessions; they prefer what they are good at - sprinting.

This "laziness" is actually a natural defence; the sprinters are preserving their fast-twitch muscles, which power their movements.

So, less volume in training is actually more in terms of speed. And good rest is essential.

Age is relative: Age will eventually catch up with everyone, including sprinters. The average age for breaking a world record in the 100 metres is 23 for men. For females it is 24.5.

But Carl Lewis set a world record at the age of 30. McDonald Bailey from the West Indies broke the world record at the age of 31. And the late Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo Jo) was 29 when she set records for 100m and 200m.

Barring injury or personal neglect, there appears to be no physiological reason for speed reduction up to age 35. So keep strong and keep training and that will help maintain your speed.

What the sprinter dislikes: Sprinters do not like to exercise for any great length of time. They are not lazy; they just have relatively poor aerobic fitness.

Some years ago a French scientist showed sprinters were similar to golfers in terms of endurance. So sprinters are aerobically unfit compared to most other athletes - hardly surprising since they cover very little ground during training and competition.

So if you train for the marathon don't expect to keep your speed.

Tips for getting faster: While sprinters are essentially born with what we call fast-twitch fibres, all athletes can become faster if they do the right training and observe certain guidelines:

• Be well rested for speed training

• Take good intervals between sprint efforts - several minutes' recovery is required between 30-metre bursts.

• Don't overdo it; finish while still feeling fresh. There is a saying that is useful to remember when trying to become faster: "Fatigue is the enemy of speed."