title: Lower leg musculoskeletal geometry and sprint performance.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sprint performance is related to lower leg musculoskeletal geometry within a homogeneous group of highly trained 100-m sprinters. Using a cluster analysis, eighteen male sprinters were divided into two groups based on their personal best (fast: N=11, 10.30±0.07s; slow: N=7, 10.70±0.08s). Calf muscular fascicle arrangement and Achilles tendon moment arms (calculated by the gradient of tendon excursion versus ankle joint angle) were analyzed for each athlete using ultrasonography. Achilles tendon moment arm, foot and ankle skeletal geometry, fascicle arrangement as well as the ratio of fascicle length to Achilles tendon moment arm showed no significant (p>0.05) correlation with sprint performance, nor were there any differences in the analyzed musculoskeletal parameters between the fast and slow sprinter group. Our findings provide evidence that differences in sprint ability in world-class athletes are not a result of differences in the geometrical design of the lower leg even when considering both skeletal and muscular components.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopaedics, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany. Karamanidis@dshs-koeln.de, kiros@gmx.ch
authors.forename: Kiros
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karamanidis
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Albracht
authors.forename: Bjoern
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Braunstein
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moreno Catala
authors.forename: Jan-Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Goldmann
authors.forename: Gert-Peter
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Brüggemann
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D054874:Athletic Performance; D005205:Fascia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult