Source: The Telegraph
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Published: 7:00AM GMT 30 Oct 2009
Researchers found that sprinters had 12 per cent longer toes – around half an inch on average – than their slower counterparts of the same height.
However the lower legs of speedy runners were shorter – about six per cent shorter on average – than more sluggish members of the public.
“It is all about the start of the sprint,” he said. “It is then that the race is usually won or lost. Very long toes allow the power from the legs to be transferred to the ground and so increasing acceleration.”
Dr Piazza and his team at Pennsylvania State University became interested in studying the legs of athletes after they were approached by an American footballer trying to increase his speed.
They then recruited another 10 sprinters from the university as well as 10 more lay people of the same height and weight.
They measured various proportions of their legs to see what made people more likely to be a fast runner.
