Abstract
The plantar flexor torque plays an important role in achieving superior sprint performance in sprinters. Because of the close relationship between joint torque and muscle size, a simple assumption can be made that greater plantar flexor muscles (i.e., triceps surae muscles) are related to better sprint performance. However, previous studies have reported the absence of these relationships. Furthermore, to examine these relationships, only a few studies have calculated the muscle volume (MV) of the plantar flexors. In this study, we hypothesized that the plantar flexor MVs may not be important morphological factors for sprint performance. To test our hypothesis, we examined the relationships between plantar flexor MVs and sprint performance in sprinters. Fifty-two male sprinters and 26 body size-matched male non-sprinters participated in this study. On the basis of the personal best 100 m sprint times [range, 10.21–11.90 (mean ± SD, 11.13 ± 0.42) s] in sprinters, a K-means cluster analysis was applied to divide them into four sprint performance level groups (n = 8, 8, 19, and 17 for each group), which was the optimal number of clusters determined by the silhouette coefficient. The MVs of the gastrocnemius lateralis (GL), gastrocnemius medialis (GM), and soleus (SOL) in participants were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. In addition to absolute MVs, the relative MVs normalized to body mass were used for the analyses. The absolute and relative MVs of the total and individual plantar flexors were significantly greater in sprinters than in non-sprinters (all p < 0.01, d = 0.64–1.39). In contrast, all the plantar flexor MV variables did not differ significantly among the four groups of sprinters (all p > 0.05, η2 = 0.02–0.07). Furthermore, all plantar flexor MV variables did not correlate significantly with personal best 100 m sprint time in sprinters (r = −0.253–0.002, all p > 0.05). These findings suggest that although the plantar flexor muscles are specifically developed in sprinters compared to untrained non-sprinters, the greater plantar flexor MVs in the sprinters may not be important morphological factors for their sprint performance.
Highlights
Superior sprint performance is achieved through the generation of torques by muscles crossing the lower limb joints (Novacheck, 1998)
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we previously reported that the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the plantar flexors was not correlated with sprint performance in sprinters (Tottori et al, 2018, 2021)
The absolute and relative ACSAs of the SOL did not differ significantly between the two groups, the absolute and relative ACSAs of the gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) were significantly greater in sprinters than in non-sprinters
Summary
Superior sprint performance is achieved through the generation of torques by muscles crossing the lower limb joints (Novacheck, 1998). Previous studies have consistently reported that greater sizes of the lower limb muscles, such as hip flexors (e.g., the psoas major) and extensors (e.g., the gluteus maximus), are related to better sprint performance in sprinters (Hoshikawa et al, 2006; Sugisaki et al, 2018; Tottori et al, 2018, 2021; Miller et al, 2021). Whether the greater size of the plantar flexor muscles (i.e., the triceps surae muscles) is related to better sprint performance in sprinters remains controversial among previous studies (Kumagai et al, 2000; Kubo et al, 2011; Sugisaki et al, 2011, 2018; Tottori et al, 2018, 2021; Monte and Zamparo, 2019; Tanaka et al, 2019; Miller et al, 2021)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
