Relationship between anthropometric and kinematic measures to practice velocity in elite American 100 m sprinters
Background: There exists a paucity of anthropometric and kinematic data for elite United States (US) sprinters and further analysis of how these variables correlate with sprint velocity in practice is warranted.
Aim: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship of anthropometric and kinematic variables and practice sprint velocity of elite sprint athletes when separated by gender.
Methods: Participants included elite US 100m sprinters (total: N=38, male: n=19, female: n=19). Inclusion criteria was participation in the 100m semifinals or finals at the US Outdoor National Championships from 2015-2019. Anthropometric data and 300 Hz video during maximum velocity sprinting were collected during a practice session and video was digitized to determine the kinematic variables of interest. Relationships with maximal sprint velocity were assessed using Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis.
Results: Males showed significant unadjusted relationships between practice velocity and step length (r = 0.668; p = 0.002), horizontal backward foot velocity at touchdown (r = 0.459; p = 0.048) and upper leg full extension angle (r = -0.585; p = 0.009). Multiple regression analysis found that when adjusting for these three variables step length was the only significant predictor of practice velocity in males which accounted for 44.6% of the variability in practice velocity in males. The females showed a significant relationship between practice velocity and step length (r = 0.629; p = 0.004) which accounted for 39.5% of the variability in practice velocity.
Conclusion: These results provide researchers and coaches with important information regarding the anthropometric and kinematic variables related to elite top speed sprinting performance.
Relevance for patients: Training focused on increasing step length may be an efficient way to improve velocity in practice.
[1] World Rankings: Men’s 100m; 2020. Available from: https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/100m/ men. Last accessed on 2020 Oct 13.
[2] World Rankings: Women’s 100m; 2020. Available from: https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/100m/ women. Last accessed on 2020 Oct 13.
[3] 2019 World Track and Field Championships Results, OlympicTalk: NBC Sports; 2019. Available from: https:// www.olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/09/28/track-andfield-world-championships-results-athletics. Last accessed on 2019 Oct 07.
[4] Slawinski J, Termoz N, Rabita G, Guilhem G, Dorel S, Morin JB, et al. How 100-m Event Analyses Improve Our Understanding of World-Class Men’s and Women’s Sprint Performance. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2015;27:45-54.
[5] Rabita G, Dorel S, Slawinski J, Sàez-de‐Villarreal E, Couturier A, Samozino P, et al. Sprint Mechanics in WorldClass Athletes: A New Insight into the Limits of Human Locomotion. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2015;25:583-94.
[6] Clark KP, Weyand PG. Are Running Speeds Maximized with Simple-Spring Stance Mechanics? J Appl Physiol 2014;117:604-15.
[7] Debaere S, Jonkers I, Delecluse C. The Contribution of Step Characteristics to Sprint Running Performance in High-Level Male and Female Athletes. J Strength Cond Res 2013;27:116-24.
[8] Haugen T, Danielsen J, Alnes LO, McGhie D, Sandbakk Ø, Ettema G. On the Importance of “Front-Side Mechanics” in Athletics Sprinting. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2018;13:420-7.
[9] Manzer S, Mattes K, Hollander K. Kinematic Analysis of Sprinting Pickup Acceleration Versus Maximum Sprinting Speed. Biol Exerc 2016;12:55-67.
[10] Mattes K, Habermann N, Schaffert N, Muhlbach T. A longitudinal study of kinematic stride characteristics in maximal sprint running. J Hum Sport Exerc 2014;9:686-99.
[11] Clark KP, Meng CR, Stearne DJ. Whip from the Hip: Thigh Angular Motion, Ground Contact Mechanics, and Running Speed. Biol Open 2020;9:bio053546.
[12] Mann R, Herman J. Kinematic Analysis of Olympic Sprint Performance: Men’s 200 Meters. Int J Sport Biomech 1985;1:151-62.
[13] Miyashiro K, Nagahara R, Yamamoto K, Nishijima T. Kinematics of Maximal Speed Sprinting with Different Running Speed, Leg Length, and Step Characteristics. Front Sports Act Living 2019;1:37.
[14] Mann RV, Murphy A. The Mechanics of Sprinting and Hurdling. Las Vegas, NV: CompuSport; 2018.
[15] Murphy A, Clark KP, Murray N, Melton B, Mann R, Rieger R. Relationship between Performance and Kinematic Measures to Competition Velocity in ELITE AMERICAN 100m Sprinters, in Review; 2021.
[16] Mann R. Sprint Teaching Computer Software; 2020. Available from: http://www.compusport.com. [Last accessed on 2021 Feb 02].
[17] Bezodis I, Irwin G, Kuntze G, Kerwin D. Changes in Step Characteristics Between the Maximum Velocity and Deceleration Phases of the Sprint Run. Port J Sports Sci 2011;11 Suppl 2:455-8.