Biomechanical Analysis of Athletes Sprinting with Varying Degrees of Resistance

Utilizing resistance methods for sprinters is a common approach to their training. In this study, six athletes from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Women’s Track and Field Team ran a series of sprints using a resistance machine to collect data regarding the change in power output, stride length, level of trunk tilt with respect to the ground, and acceleration throughout a distance of ten meters when different amounts of resistant forces were applied to the athlete. It was hypothesized that as resistance increased, power output would increase, stride length would decrease, the runners would become more horizontal resulting in a larger trunk tilt, and finally that the acceleration would decrease. Specialized markers were placed on the athletes during their runs and computerized models were created to analyze the data in addition to the data collected from the resistance machine itself. It was observed that all hypotheses were correct except for trunk tilt, in which no conclusive correlation was detected. The collected results were communicated to the athletes and their coaches to aid in their training and help them reach their full athletic potential