Scientists say we’ve been wrong about what makes sprinters fast

Published in Sports Medicine, the research looks at sprinting through a dynamical systems approach. Instead of pointing to one ideal running technique, it argues that speed develops from the interaction between an athlete’s body, their environment, and their training background.

The study was led by Flinders University, working with researchers from ALTIS, Johannes Gutenberg University, and Nord University. It shows that factors such as coordination, strength, limb mechanics, and individual physical traits all combine to influence how someone runs. This helps explain why elite sprinters can look very different from one another at top speed.

Lead author and Movement Scientist, Dr. Dylan Hicks from Flinders’ College of Education, Psychology and Social Work says the results challenge the long-held belief that all athletes should be coached toward a single technical model.

“For decades, sprint coaching has often been based on the belief that all athletes should move in one prescribed way,” says Dr. Hicks.

“But our research shows that sprinting is far more complex. The best athletes in the world don’t all run the same. What they share is not one technique but the ability to organize their bodies efficiently under pressure and that looks different for every sprinter.” Science Daily