Running Speed is Maximized by Strengthening the Hip Flexors and Hip Adductors.

Abstract

PURPOSE: Cross-sectional studies indicate that sprint performance is strongly associated with leg-muscle strength, however there is no consensus on which muscles to strengthen to maximize running speed. The purpose of this study was to quantify and rank the sensitivity of maximum sprinting speed to changes in the strengths of individual leg muscles. METHODS: A full-body musculoskeletal model was combined with dynamic optimization theory to predict the effects of muscle strengthening on maximum sprinting speed. RESULTS: Maximum sprinting speed was most sensitive to a change in hip muscle strength: a 10% increase in hip strength increased maximum sprinting speed by 2.59% compared with 1.02% an..