Leg Strength for Running, Jumping, and Direction Changes

Force production in plain language

Running, jumping, and changing direction all involve pushing against the ground. The ground pushes back, and that interaction changes the body's motion. Leg strength is one part of how much force an athlete can produce or control.

The direction and timing of that force matter as much as simply having more of it. A slow, heavy squat and a rapid first sprint step are different tasks. Strength training can raise physical capacity, while sport practice teaches an athlete to use that capacity in the right direction, at the right time, under the right conditions.

Running acceleration

Acceleration means increasing speed. Early in a sprint, the athlete needs to project the body forward through repeated ground contacts. Lower-body strength can support the push behind each step, but sprinting also depends on posture, coordination, contact timing, and how quickly force is expressed.

That distinction explains why a stronger squat does not automatically produce a faster sprint. The training exercise, load, range, speed of movement, and athlete's starting point all influence how much transfers.

Evidence is mixed when the question becomes specific. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis comparing squat and hip-thrust training in sub-elite athletes did not find significant improvements in the analyzed short-sprint measures for either exercise. By contrast, a 2026 network meta-analysis of randomized trials in soccer players ranked strength training highly for 5-, 10-, and 30-meter sprint outcomes. These reviews combined different studies, exercise categories, and populations, so their conclusions should not be flattened into a guarantee for an individual athlete.

Jumping

To jump, an athlete produces force through the ground over a limited amount of time and leaves the ground with upward, forward, or sideways velocity. Leg strength contributes to the available push. Jump height or distance also depends on approach speed, countermovement, arm action, joint sequencing, and takeoff direction.

The squat-versus-hip-thrust review found that squat training improved vertical jump height more than hip-thrust training in its pooled analysis. It did not find significant effects on horizontal jump distance. That task-specific difference is a useful warning: improvement in one jump measure does not establish improvement in every kind of jump.

Loaded strength work can be paired with appropriate jumping practice when impact, landing ability, and training experience allow it. Jumping while tired or adding volume too quickly can reduce movement quality. Fresh, intentional repetitions are usually more informative than chasing exhaustion.

Deceleration and change of direction

Before changing direction, an athlete often has to reduce existing speed. The legs help accept and control force during braking, then help push the body toward a new path. Approach speed, body position, foot placement, surface, and the angle of the cut all change the task.

Strength can support the capacity to brake and reaccelerate, but a gym exercise does not teach an athlete when to cut or how to respond to an opponent. A preplanned change-of-direction drill is itself different from reactive agility, which includes reading a cue and making a decision.

The 2025 squat-versus-hip-thrust review found no discernible effect of either exercise on change-of-direction performance. The 2026 soccer-player network meta-analysis, which grouped strength and conditioning interventions differently, ranked strength training favorably for T-test agility. Those results are not necessarily contradictory: they ask different questions and use different bodies of evidence. Together, they support a measured conclusion that strength training may help some performance outcomes, while exercise selection and specific practice still matter.

Strength is not skill

Strength describes capacity; skill describes how that capacity is organized for a task. An athlete can become stronger without improving sprint mechanics, takeoff timing, landing control, or decision-making. Likewise, an athlete may improve a practiced technique without a large change in maximal strength.

Transfer is most likely when a program respects both sides:

• build enough general strength to support the demands of the sport;
• practice sprinting, jumping, landing, and direction changes in relevant forms;
• progress speed, impact, and complexity instead of adding them all at once;
• protect movement quality with appropriate rest and manageable volume.

Sport performance also reflects coaching, experience, recovery, and the rest of the training plan. No single lift can promise speed, agility, or competitive success.

Bilateral and unilateral work

Bilateral exercises use both legs from a broadly symmetrical stance. Squats, deadlift patterns, and two-leg jumps can provide a stable way to develop force. Unilateral or split-stance exercises emphasize one side or place the feet in different positions. Step-ups, split squats, and single-leg landing drills can challenge balance and side-specific control.

The categories overlap. A split squat still uses the rear leg, and running alternates one ground contact at a time while the whole body contributes. Unilateral training is not automatically more “sport-specific,” and bilateral training is not automatically less useful.

A practical program can include both: a bilateral movement for accessible loading and a split-stance movement for a different balance and coordination demand. According to the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 summary, consistency and individualization matter more for the average healthy adult than allegiance to one equipment type or complicated method. Athletes with demanding performance goals may need more specific planning from a qualified coach.

Key takeaways

• Leg strength expands the capacity to produce and control force against the ground.
• Acceleration, jumping, braking, and direction changes each use that capacity differently.
• Stronger does not automatically mean faster; timing, direction, technique, and task-specific practice matter.
• Recent reviews report different results across populations and outcomes, so no single exercise guarantees transfer.
• Bilateral and unilateral exercises can complement each other when chosen for a clear purpose.