Chapter 19: The Six-Second Law

After entering the advanced training team, the main difference was access to better training resources, a greater variety of training programs, and specialized courses. There were also various coaches assigned to different roles. However, due to reforms aimed at stimulating performance, Ning Debao often trained alone with Su Shen and another female athlete, Chen Juan. Chen was from Hunan Province and had been recruited when Ning Debao worked there; she had just recently reported for training.

Chen Juan was shy and reserved, unfamiliar with the new environment and not very talkative. But even that didn’t faze Su Shen. Having trained with her extensively before, he knew her preferences well. To lighten the mood during training, Su Shen quickly befriended her, which even Ning Debao noticed, thinking to himself that Su Shen was surprisingly good at energizing the atmosphere, unlike many athletes who were less communicative.

Besides attending many professional courses to gain specialized knowledge, Ning Debao had individualized training plans. Compared to the “boot camp” style basic routines, these were clearly more complex and refined.

For example, after warm-up, there were breath-holding runs of 30 to 50 meters, done in 3 to 4 sets. Training involved rapid arm swings for 10 to 20 seconds on signal, repeated 3 to 5 times. Other drills included running from one end to the other on command, quick starts, swift turns, high-frequency short steps over 30 to 50 meters—all in multiple sets. Squat preparations, acceleration runs from 30 to 60 meters, and many more exercises followed.

There were also rhythm runs, small-step runs, long-step runs, distance runs, chase runs, uphill and downhill chases, repeated runs, and so forth. After becoming familiar with these, weighted runs and weighted starts were added. Endurance training was combined with several weekly strength sessions.

While there was gym work, it was mostly supplementary—deep squats, snatches, half squats, lunges—but none of these were the main focus. The primary emphasis was on strengthening the lower body. Upper body training was fragmented, with little attention paid to muscle gain or strength. Upper limb strength was mainly developed through arm swing drills, which explained why Chinese sprinters appeared physically weaker compared to their Western counterparts.

It had long been proven that East Asians possess the highest levels of testosterone among ethnic groups, making them well-suited for strength and muscle development in theory. However, these facts have often been dismissed as racial stereotypes without scientific backing. Since the Song Dynasty, the diet had become increasingly refined, with higher carbohydrate intake but declining protein proportions, which severely hindered physical development. This also explains the popular myth that “no more than three eggs a day” should be consumed—a belief widely accepted despite lacking scientific basis.

Of course, these training methods did improve speed and strength, especially for those who had little prior training. With some natural talent, breaking 11 seconds and approaching the 10-second barrier was feasible. But for elite or top-tier athletes, these gains were insufficient and could delay peak performance. The system was deeply entrenched and could not be overhauled overnight. Changes had to be gradual and carefully timed, involving major adjustments only when appropriate.

There were plenty of training sessions and courses—so many that Su Shen wondered if it was too much. Later, he realized that blindly grinding away was ineffective in sprinting. Crucially, China lacked champions at the highest level, unlike weightlifting where veterans could pass down experience. The sprinting field was essentially in a void. Before 2015, China’s sprinting motto was essentially about “resisting Japan,” not competing with the West. Thinking about a true East-West confrontation back then was laughable, as the slogan itself was lacking.

Coaches might share their special training techniques with protégés, but the level remained inadequate. Having been exposed to more scientific training methods abroad, Su Shen knew that once an athlete broke 11 seconds, those old methods became outdated. Still, they worked for now, and as a newcomer, he wanted to maintain an image of diligence and endurance.

Moreover, Su Shen was preparing to guide Ning Debao, a university graduate, through a profound ideological shift in training philosophy. During breaks, the two were engrossed in discussing a relatively new training system Su Shen intended to introduce through Ning Debao—specialized sprint training research centered on what would later be known as the “6-Second Rule.”

The “6-Second Rule” was established long ago. Su Shen had translated it for Ning Debao. It was developed in 1936 by American physiologist A. Higgin—a formula that describes the relationship between instantaneous human speed and exercise duration:

Vi = Vm (1 - e^(-kt))

This formula was proposed in 1935 and, though it took time to gain traction in the West, had long been well understood there. Yet in China, the concept was virtually unknown. Su Shen recalled that it wasn’t until 2014 that a detailed explanation appeared in a sports science journal. Considering Su Shen only began training with foreign coaches in 2013 and went abroad after 2010, it highlighted just how behind the domestic level was.

Since no one was seriously researching this valuable scientific insight in China, Su Shen felt compelled to utilize Ning Debao’s influence to promote this scientific training method and formula. Writing research articles would become second nature to Su Shen later, and mentoring Ning Debao was effortless.

Their current discussion focused on whether the core method of maximum speed training domestically was genuinely flawed.

Indeed, it was.

Right from the start, the approach was uncompromisingly rigorous.

The 2014 textbook “Sports Training Science” clearly stated that China still relied heavily on “30-meter concentrated training.” But 30 meters was insufficient to reach an athlete’s maximal speed zone. According to the formula Vi = Vm (1 - e^(-kt)), achieving maximum speed required about 6 seconds or more. Elite athletes rarely finish within 6 seconds for 30 meters, meaning this training lacked the time needed to reach peak velocity. This explained why Chinese sprinters maintained decent starts but faded in mid-race and often couldn’t sustain their speed into the final sprint.

Su Shen presented this conclusion alongside the scientific literature on Higgin’s formula to Ning Debao. Initially skeptical—after all, she had studied these traditional methods and had used them for years—it was difficult for her to accept that these long-standing training practices were obsolete, especially since the formula dated back to 1936.

However, with abundant evidence and Su Shen’s guidance, she gradually accepted the reality and began thoroughly studying the scattered translated materials he provided.

“So what you’re saying is that the 6-second interval is actually the minimum time needed for a trained athlete to reach maximum speed, and before that, it’s hard to get there?” Ning Debao asked, reviewing Su Shen’s jumbled notes after a training set was completed.

“That’s not just my opinion, Coach Ning. The scientific formula has already proven this. Our training is based on experience without scientific formulas, so there’s no way to verify improvements or scale production,” Su Shen replied. Ning Debao fell into deep thought; the dense text and formulas convinced her this was correct.

“I’ll need to investigate further. I’ll first observe our sports school athletes, and if the results are promising, I’ll check schools in neighboring cities,” she said with a wry smile. “It’s been a while since I wrote a paper. I didn’t expect the first thing after taking you on would be research writing. Who’s teaching whom here?”

Su Shen was never one to shirk responsibility. He quickly answered, “Of course, Coach Ning teaches me. I’m just a transporter of scientific knowledge.”

“A transporter?” Ning Debao chuckled, amused by Su Shen’s choice of words despite his youth.

“So you mean science teaches me, I teach you, and you teach me science. Is that it?” she teased. Su Shen nodded instinctively, but before he could correct himself, Ning Debao nearly delivered a playful punch to his head. “So in the end, you’re the one teaching me! You little rascal, train hard. Finish today’s program, and if you can’t hold 11.18 seconds before the Pearl River Delta Invitational, don’t come with me.”

Experience wins every time.

Afterward, Ning Debao took Su Shen’s materials and disappeared, likely igniting her academic passion once more. Su Shen felt a bit self-satisfied.

He also wanted to add that there was one exception to this rule—the legendary Usain Bolt. While most athletes reach maximum speed between 6 to 7 seconds, Bolt exhibited an extraordinary late-race acceleration. But that was a rare anomaly, even for him, so the rule held true for the vast majority. After all, not everyone is Bolt.

Reflecting on this, Su Shen felt the weight of his mission. If he was to compete in the 2008 Olympics, he would have to face the formidable “Lightning Bolt.”

The thought gave him a headache.

For now, his focus remained on breaking 11 seconds and chasing the Olympic qualifying standard. Without that, everything else was mere talk.

Su Shen shook his head, sighed, and resumed the monotonous training.

P.S.: Come on, science changes fate, knowledge changes fate, saving changes fate, votes change fate. Publishing in English-language SCI journals is tough; please show some support for Xiao Zi’s health!