Muscle contributions to body mass center acceleration during the first stance of sprint running

The best results in a sprint running are based upon covering the distance in the shortest possible time, and therefore performance has to be maximized. To achieve the best performance, the sprinter has to develop the greatest forward acceleration, reach his/her maximal speed, and keep it over the run. The greatest anteroposterior acceleration is generated in the first stance of a sprint due to the greatest propulsive force production. Thus, the first step was selected to study induced accelerations by the main muscles of the lower limb. Since a wider step width was founded out to help with force generation during long foot-ground contacts, an elite sprinter with a wide step width was selected. Ankle plantarflexors were the main contributors to body propulsion and support, while knee extensors decelerated forward propulsion but induced medial accelerations. Hip extensors and hip adductors did not offer a remarkable contribution to body COM acceleration in any direction