What type of training involves sprints with short recovery periods?

The type of training that involves sprints with short recovery periods is speed endurance training. This specific approach is designed to improve an athlete's ability to maintain a high speed for an extended duration, which is essential in many sports. During speed endurance training, the focus is on performing repeated short bursts of sprints, followed by brief recovery intervals. This method trains the body to efficiently utilize energy systems, enhance lactate threshold, and improve cardiovascular fitness, allowing athletes to sustain speed over longer distances than they could with straight sprinting.

While options like interval training also involve alternating periods of high-intensity work and lower-intensity recovery, it is broader in scope and can include a variety of training styles beyond just sprinting. Long-distance running emphasizes endurance and sustained aerobic capacity without the specific emphasis on the short, high-intensity efforts that characterize speed endurance. Strength training focuses on building muscle power and physical strength, which does not directly relate to the concept of sprinting and recovery periods as seen in speed endurance training.