A pilot study on the importance of forefoot bone length in male 400-m sprinters: is there a key morphological factor for superior long sprint performance?

Abstract

Abstract Objective The main purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between the forefoot bone length and long sprint performance in well-trained 400-m specialized sprinters. The total lengths of the forefoot bones of the big and second toes in 25 male 400-m sprinters and 25 male non-sprinters were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. The forefoot bones of each toe were totaled to assess overall forefoot bone length and then normalized to the maximum foot length. Results The relative total lengths of the forefoot bones in the big and second toes were significantly longer in 400-m sprinters than in non-sprinters (P < 0.05 for both). The relative total length of the forefoot bones of the second toe, but not of the big toe, in 400-m sprinters was significantly correlated with personal best 400-m sprint time (r = − 0.441, P = 0.028). These findings demonstrated that longer forefoot bones are related to higher long sprint performance in well-trained 400-m specialized sprinters. Therefore, the present study is the first to determine that morphological factors such as long forefoot bones may play an important role in achieving superior long sprinting performance.

Keywords

• Sprint velocity
• Plantar flexor moment
• Ground reaction force
• Anaerobic capacity
• Magnetic resonance imaging