When we think about explosive strength, we often picture powerful legs, strong glutes, or hours spent in the gym. But real explosiveness doesn’t start in the muscles.
It starts in the nervous system.
Whether you’re sprinting, jumping, tackling, lifting, or changing direction quickly, explosive power depends on how fast and efficiently your brain can send signals to your muscles. The stronger and more coordinated that signal, the more force you can produce in a split second.
Explosiveness Is a Neural Event
Muscles don’t fire themselves. Every rapid movement begins with a neurological command. The brain sends an electrical impulse down the spinal cord, through peripheral nerves, and into muscle fibers. The faster and more synchronized that firing, the more powerful the output.
This is why elite athletes train not just strength, but reaction speed and coordination. Explosive performance relies heavily on:
- Rapid motor unit recruitment
- Efficient sensorimotor integration
- Precise timing between agonist and antagonist muscles
- Reflex stability
If nerve transmission is slowed or disrupted, even slightly, power output can decrease.
What Does the Spine Have to Do With It?
Your spine houses and protects the spinal cord — the main communication highway between brain and body. Spinal mechanics influence the sensory input flowing into the central nervous system, which in turn affects motor output.
Research reviewing the neurophysiological effects of spinal manipulation suggests that biomechanical changes in the spine can alter sensory input to the central nervous system, stimulate muscle sensory nerve fibers, and modify motor neuron excitability. This matters because motor control and explosive output depend on optimal sensory feedback and reflex integration. (Pickar, 2002).
In a nutshell, explosive strength isn’t just about how strong a muscle is — it’s about how well multiple muscles coordinate together under speed and load.
Subtle changes in spinal alignment and joint mechanics can influence afferent feedback — the sensory information your brain uses to determine position, movement, and load. When this feedback improves, coordination often becomes sharper.
This is one reason many professional athletes incorporate spinal care as part of performance optimization. It isn’t about treating pain alone — it’s about maintaining clean neurological communication. When the communication is clear, efficiency of neural firing and reflex pathways involved in rapid movement will also improve.
Performance Is Built on Communication
At the highest levels of sport, performance margins are razor thin. Strength training builds muscle capacity. Skill training refines technique. But neurological efficiency determines how quickly and precisely you can use that strength.
Explosiveness is a brain-driven event. And when the communication between brain and body is clear, coordinated, and efficient — power follows.
If you’re serious about optimizing performance, it may be worth assessing not just your muscles — but the system that controls them.
Ready to move, react, and perform at your highest level? Contact us and let’s talk about how spinal function fits into your performance strategy.
Sources:
[1] Pickar, J.G. 2002. Neurophysiological effects of spinal manipulation. Spine Journal. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14589467/