Effects of Muscle Moment Arm Variation on Performance During the Acceleration Phase of Sprinting: A Computer Simulation Study

Elite sprinters are differentiated from merely good sprinters by their performance during the first 20 m of a 100 m race [1]. The impulse of the ground reaction force in the forward direction during the sprint start has been found to correlate negatively with overall race time indicating that the best sprinters are the ones who are able to accelerate rapidly at the start of a race. Many factors have been examined to determine the anatomical and physiological characteristics that contribute to sprinting ability, including muscle fiber type, muscle size, and muscle architecture parameters such as fascicle length and pennation angle. Joint structure has received less attention, although it has the potential to influence sprint performance in complex ways.