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Mechanical determinants of 100-m sprint running performance

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Abstract

Sprint mechanics and field 100-m performances were tested in 13 subjects including 9 non-specialists, 3 French national-level sprinters and a world-class sprinter, to further study the mechanical factors associated with sprint performance. 6-s sprints performed on an instrumented treadmill allowed continuous recording of step kinematics, ground reaction forces (GRF), and belt velocity and computation of mechanical power output and linear force–velocity relationships. An index of the force application technique was computed as the slope of the linear relationship between the decrease in the ratio of horizontal-to-resultant GRF and the increase in velocity. Mechanical power output was positively correlated to mean 100-m speed (P < 0.01), as was the theoretical maximal velocity production capability (P < 0.011), whereas the theoretical maximal force production capability was not. The ability to apply the resultant force backward during acceleration was positively correlated to 100-m performance (r s > 0.683; P < 0.018), but the magnitude of resultant force was not (P = 0.16). Step frequency, contact and swing time were significantly correlated to acceleration and 100-m performance (positively for the former, negatively for the two latter, all P < 0.05), whereas aerial time and step length were not (all P > 0.21). Last, anthropometric data of body mass index and lower-limb-to-height ratio showed no significant correlation with 100-m performance. We concluded that the main mechanical determinants of 100-m performance were (1) a “velocity-oriented” force–velocity profile, likely explained by (2) a higher ability to apply the resultant GRF vector with a forward orientation over the acceleration, and (3) a higher step frequency resulting from a shorter contact time.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to Pierre Carraz and the athletes of the AS Aix-les-Bains Track and Field club for their involvement in the protocol. We also thank Johan Cassirame (Matsport, France), Thibault Lussiana and Nicolas Tordi (Centre d’Optimisation de la Performance Sportive COPS, Université de Franche-Comté, France) and Mathieu Lacome and Olivier Rambaud for their precious help in field and laboratory data collection. We also gratefully thank the two anonymous reviewers for their supportive and constructive comments.

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None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Lyon, 42023, Saint Etienne, France

    Jean-Benoît Morin & Pascal Edouard

  2. Laboratory of Exercise Physiology (EA4338), 42000, Saint-Etienne, France

    Jean-Benoît Morin & Pascal Edouard

  3. University of Lyon, University Lyon 1, IFSTTAR, UMR_T9406, LBMC, 69921, Oullins, France

    Muriel Bourdin & Jean-René Lacour

  4. University of La Réunion, DIMPS (EA4075), 97430, Le Tampon, France

    Nicolas Peyrot

  5. Laboratory of Exercise Physiology (EA4338), University of Savoie, 73376, Le Bourget-du-Lac, France

    Pierre Samozino

  6. Laboratoire de Physiologie de l’Exercice (EA4338), Médecine du Sport-Myologie, CHU Bellevue, 42055, Saint-Etienne cedex 2, France

    Jean-Benoît Morin

Authors
  1. Jean-Benoît Morin
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  2. Muriel Bourdin
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  3. Pascal Edouard
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  4. Nicolas Peyrot
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  5. Pierre Samozino
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  6. Jean-René Lacour
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Correspondence to Jean-Benoît Morin.

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Communicated by Guido Ferretti.

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Morin, JB., Bourdin, M., Edouard, P. et al. Mechanical determinants of 100-m sprint running performance. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 3921–3930 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2379-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2379-8

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