What Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland tell us about the science of sprinting
Understandably linked to massive transfer deals this summer, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are arguably the two most promising football talents in the world, possessing an array of skills that strike fear into the opposition, including devastating pace.
In the above video, I deconstructed each’s sprinting mechanics and technique to compare how each upshifts through their acceleration gears to reach a blistering top-end speed.
Each player’s form and technique highlights how the body and mind adapt to a player’s unique characteristics and variables along with reinforcing a key reality of movement science: there’s truly not a “right or wrong way” to move, rather, it’s all about fundamental principles.
Dr Rajpal Brar, DPT, is a physiotherapist, movement expert, fitness trainer, and mindfulness coach. He runs the LA-based wellness and athletic development/performance clinic 3CB Performance, and you can subscribe to his Youtube channel (which posts analyses of Lionel Messi and more) by going here.
