Question

Explain how an athlete identifies their fast leg.

Answer 1

Answer:

We have already highlighted the key structural differences in terms of muscle fibre type between the endurance athlete and the sprinter. As you will recall, the sprinter is the one endowed with a dominance of the fast-twitch fibre. This ‘white’ fibre has several speed producing characteristics that make it ideally suited for speed and power performance. The accompanying table compares some of the key physiological differences between slow and fast twitch fibres. Understanding these differences, believe it or not, does help us in choosing and designing training for the sprint and endurance athlete.