Link to article-? https://blog.smu.edu/research/2014/08/25/key-to-speed-elite-sprinters-are-unlike-other-athletes-deliver-forceful-punch-to-ground
Link to study abstract (paywall)- ?https://jap.physiology.org/content/early/2014/07/29/japplphysiol.00174.2014
For the competitive sprinters it clearly shows the majority of force is produced during the first 1/3 of contact time at MaxV. So here are my questions, aside from the tendon stiffness and eccentric strength that allows that sort of short amortization to occur what’s the take away for training for increasing that rate of force development? Punching the ground/ hitting it harder is great and the simple way of saying it, but through what mechanism are they achieving that higher force that allows them to punch harder? Is it through higher eccentric ability in the glutes, allowing more energy to be stored from the leg moving forward through swing phase and thereby increasing the acceleration of the limb downward? Greater hip rom/oscillation allowing a more pronounced whipping action and a longer lever to develop more limb velocity? Simply having the genetics that gave them greater fiber length to increase contractile velocity? I would have liked to see limb length data on the sprinters vs athletes in the study to see if there were any differences.
To me, this underscores the importance of elastic strength development even more, however the major question for me is: is this ability to rapidly produce force?trainable, is this a by product of proper training, mechanics or athlete awareness of their body, or is this genetic?
Just some thoughts.
