How Running Parachutes Work

The name running parachute bears a striking resemblance to the product. Running parachutes attach to a harness around your chest or wrap around your waist. In the same way that conventional parachutes create wind resistance when you jump out of a plane slowing your fall, running parachutes create a drag behind you while running.

The harness attaches with Velcro that easily detaches either at the end of a sprint or mid-stride. When runners detach the chute from their bodies they suddenly feel an explosive burst of energy, as if they're a bullet shot out of a gun. This explosive speed training is ideal for baseball, basketball, football and soccer players.

The chutes are available in a variety of sizes -- the larger the chute the more resistance it creates. Chute size depends on your training level and body build.

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Runners can also attach more than one chute at a time for additional resistance.

The small and compact design of the speed chute means that you can fold it up and take it wherever you go. The parachutes weigh about 1 pound (0.4 kilograms) each. Simply add it to your gym bag and you can vary your training any day of the week.

At between $30 and $75, the chutes are rather inexpensive and financially viable for many athletes. The cost depends on the size and the brand of the chute that you choose.

Building strength translates into a better overall athletic performance. Wind-resistance training with speed chutes provides overall muscular resistance. Depending on the chute size, they can produce between 15 and 30 pounds (6.8 kilograms and 13.6 kilograms) of resistance, similar to running on a windy day, running through water or running up a hill.

Speed chutes build fast-twitch muscles. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are advantageous for short bursts of strength or speed, critical in shorter races like the 100-meter (109-yard) dash. That's why sprinters find the most use in speed chutes. Fast-twitch muscles also provide explosive speed and fast directional change in football, basketball, baseball, soccer and lacrosse players. The NFL uses speed chutes throughout their preseason practices [source: SKLZ].

Middle-distance and long-distance runners, on the other hand, focus on building strength and increasing endurance while maintaining flexibility. Their focus is building the slow-twitch muscles. Slow-twitch muscles use oxygen efficiently so that an athlete performs continuously, over a long period of time, which is critical for longer distance races. The chutes aren't effective for building slow-twitch muscles. That's why middle- and longer-distance runners use them less often.

But both groups can benefit from the extra overall resistance training, which builds strength in the calves, thighs and quads as well as the core. This holistic approach to strength building makes for a more competitive and vigorous overall athlete.

An increase in overall strength leads to an increase in the amount of force an athlete applies to the ground, thus projecting them forward faster. The increased strength in your calves and ankles allows you to take off faster and take longer, enhanced strides.

The chute provides progressive resistance, meaning the faster you run, the more it drags [source: The Runner's Guide]. So no matter how fast you run, it provides enough resistance to increase strength. That's why it's effective for every ability level.

Running parachute workouts aren't worthwhile for everyday use. They are best incorporated along with other forms of resistance training like resistance bands and ankle weights, periodically. Start out by adding them in once a week. Use them for shorter distances, starting at around 50 yards (45.7 meters) and working up to 100 yards (91.4 meters.)

Open areas are the best places for trying them out. Find a local football field or other athletic field to practice your speed-chute training. While you can train with the chutes on curves, running straight makes the most sense so that it picks up wind resistance and provides the anticipated drag. Avoid running near trees where the chute could get caught and damaged.

While the chutes do allow for lone training, a partner can throw the chute up in the air so it quickly catches wind resistance. But either way, pick up speed quickly so that the chute immediately expands and creates drag.

If you're considering incorporating running parachutes into your workouts, build up to the routine below. If it's too easy, you can increase the number of sprints.

Though running parachutes haven't been studied very extensively, one study at Human Performance Laboratory at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso found no solid evidence that running parachutes increased overall speed. Two running groups between the ages of 15 and 18 of comparable speed were studied. With all variables the same, the group training with the chutes ran no faster than the group training without the chutes. But the study also found that the chutes did no harm and they didn't cause any higher instance of injury in runners [source: Peak Performance]. It should be noted that this is just one small study that included only 14 runners.

As with many varieties of interval training, the benefits of running parachutes aren't always black and white. For example, success in training means maintaining runner motivation. And part of maintaining motivation is keeping it interesting. Running parachutes add a bit of flavor to your workout. They provide interval training by less traditional means. Instead of hitting the hills or adding in sprints, a runner can simply strap on the harness and find a resistance workout built right in.

Another benefit to the chutes is versatility. Train by yourself whenever you like, and all you need is a 1-pound (0.4 kg) piece of nylon. It's easy to put on and easy to break down. It's also inexpensive.

Wind resistance training can also play an important role in developing strength, especially when a person is recovering from an injury. Parachute training lessens the impact of a motion when compared to training in the weight room.

Running parachutes also endow runners with a mental edge. If you're training during the difficult, windy conditions provided through a speed chute, when race day or game day comes you're prepared even if the wind is whipping at 40 mph (64.3 kph.) The human body adapts to whatever it faces if properly trained. This newfound mental toughness also comes into play at the end of a race when everyone else is tired. Wind resistance builds extra stamina, endurance and technique so you're still on track when everyone else has run out of steam.