Elite sprinters attack ground to maximise speed

Scientists have unlocked the secret behind Usain Bolt’s extraordinary speed - he delivers a firm, rapid punch to the ground! The world’s fastest sprinters have unique gait features that account for their ability to achieve fast speeds, scientists have found. Researchers from Southern Methodist University, Dallas suggest that the secret to elite sprinting speeds lies in the distinct limb dynamics sprinters use to elevate ground forces upon foot-ground impact.

‘Our new studies show that these elite sprinters don’t use their legs to just bounce off the ground as most other runners do,’ said Ken Clark, lead author of the research from the SMU Locomotor Performance Laboratory. ‘The top sprinters have developed a wind-up and delivery mechanism to augment impact forces. Other runners do not do so,’ Clark added. Previous studies had established that faster runners attain faster speeds by hitting the ground more forcefully than other runners do in relation to their body weight. However, how faster runners are able to do this was unknown. ‘Our data indicate the fastest sprinters each have identified the same solution for maximising speed, which strongly implies that when you put the physics and the biology together, there’s only one way to sprint really fast,’ Clark said.