Sprinting Mechanics
Maximal Velocity Sprint Mechanics
Michael Young United States Military Academy & Human Performance Consulting
Sprinting is a complex task that places a high neuromuscular demand on the performer and requires high levels of coordinated movement and appropriate sequencing of muscle activations to perform at peak levels. This paper will examine maximal velocity sprint mechanics with particular focus on the primary factors affecting performance, the mechanics associated with those factors, and the causal relationships that occur as a result of optimal sprinting mechanics. Although it is understood that maximum velocity sprinting mechanics cannot be taken out of the context of either the acceleration that preceded it or the biomotor abilities of a given athlete, the following discussion will focus solely on maximal velocity mechanics for the sake of simplicity.
Fundamental Concepts
Before going in to an in-depth discussion of sprinting mechanics we must first examine some fundamental concepts of sprinting performance. First off, speed is a function of stride length and stride frequency. This means that faster speeds can be achieved when either one or both of the two variables are increased. While seemingly simple, the matter is actually considerably more complex. This is because the two variables are actually interdependent in a loosely inverse relationship. That is, for any given runner, as one variable increases the other often decreases. Thus, it is important to find an optimal balance between stride length and stride frequency and not try to artificially manipulate either of the variables as if they were completely independent.
Stride Length and Frequency
The fastest sprinters tend to have stride lengths and stride frequencies as great as 2.6m and 5 steps per second respectively (Mann, 2005). Interestingly, the source of these outstanding characteristics is actually a single attribute. Previous research by Weyand and colleagues (2000) indicates that
Michael Young United States Military Academy & Human Performance Consulting
Sprinting is a complex task that places a high neuromuscular demand on the performer and requires high levels of coordinated movement and appropriate sequencing of muscle activations to perform at peak levels. This paper will examine maximal velocity sprint mechanics with particular focus on the primary factors affecting performance, the mechanics associated with those factors, and the causal relationships that occur as a result of optimal sprinting mechanics. Although it is understood that maximum velocity sprinting mechanics cannot be taken out of the context of either the acceleration that preceded it or the biomotor abilities of a given athlete, the following discussion will focus solely on maximal velocity mechanics for the sake of simplicity.
Fundamental Concepts
Before going in to an in-depth discussion of sprinting mechanics we must first examine some fundamental concepts of sprinting performance. First off, speed is a function of stride length and stride frequency. This means that faster speeds can be achieved when either one or both of the two variables are increased. While seemingly simple, the matter is actually considerably more complex. This is because the two variables are actually interdependent in a loosely inverse relationship. That is, for any given runner, as one variable increases the other often decreases. Thus, it is important to find an optimal balance between stride length and stride frequency and not try to artificially manipulate either of the variables as if they were completely independent.
Stride Length and Frequency
The fastest sprinters tend to have stride lengths and stride frequencies as great as 2.6m and 5 steps per second respectively (Mann, 2005). Interestingly, the source of these outstanding characteristics is actually a single attribute. Previous research by Weyand and colleagues (2000) indicates that
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