# Sprinters upper bodies **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 5, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475 "2012-08-05T01:48:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/1 "2012-08-05T01:48:07Z")
So why do the male Olympic sprinters and hurdlers have such well developed upper body muscles? Do they do weight training as well? Do they get that muscular in the upper body from sprint intervals alone? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/2 "2012-08-05T01:51:32Z")
Weight training. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/3 "2012-08-05T02:11:35Z")
Low body fat percentage will also make their muscles more well-defined. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/4 "2012-08-05T02:38:48Z")
Sprinting is anaerobic exercise. ETA: As opposed to other, more distance-oriented types of running; which are aerobic forms of exercise. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/5 "2012-08-05T02:41:29Z")
Sprinters do a lot of [cleans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_and_jerk#Clean_phase) for explosiveness, and upper body growth is a side effect. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/6 "2012-08-05T04:21:46Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Sprinters do a lot of [cleans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_and_jerk#Clean_phase) for explosiveness, and upper body growth is a side effect. True. Also, upper body strength and endurance are crucial to maintaining good sprinting form. The sprinter whose form breaks down the least is the one who wins, generally speaking. Loss of form due to fatigue and/or muscle weakness makes a sprinter slow down more rapidly. And I meant to say, powerful arm, shoulder, and back muscles offset the powerful leg drives in order to maintain balance. Strong abs are crucial for holding the two centers of motion together, in balance. ---
**Author:** ![misterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/7 "2012-08-05T05:25:25Z")
You are dealing with elite genetics as well. Don’t expect to look like that by adding sprints to your exercise regiment. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/8 "2012-08-05T06:00:56Z")
[This wiki link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running) discusses the reasons sprinters have such muscular upper bodies. Again; it involves the anaerobic nature of the exercise. Quote- “The faster the running, the more energy has to be dissipated through compensating motions throughout the entire body. This is why elite sprinters have powerful upper body physiques. As the competitive distance increases, there is a rapid drop in the upper body and overall muscle mass typically exhibited by the people who compete at a high level in each respective event. Long distance runners typically have lean muscles.” ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/9 "2012-08-05T10:27:08Z")
Sprinters of the 80s were much much more muscular. Google pictures of Ben Johnson for example. His body resembles that of a heavyweight boxer or MMA fighter. My guess is that whatever drugs they are taking today are more targeted and do not cause muscular growth in other areas of the body. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/10 "2012-08-05T15:04:22Z")
They say that it helps [in the start as well](http://www.livestrong.com/article/546032-do-sprinters-work-out-their-upper-bodies/). > [@](#): > > Sprinters use powerful arm drives to help propel them out of the blocks and start in the desired low posture. As they reach full speed, their arms and legs work in concert to sustain the proper rhythm. A powerful arm drive can help sprinters maintain their proper stride as fatigue sets in. Lactic acid builds in the arms as it does in the legs, which is why sprinters must condition their arms for racing. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/11 "2012-08-05T20:31:30Z")
Thanks to OP. Was just wondering this exact question. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/12 "2012-08-05T20:45:08Z")
I was watching some sprinting today, and thinking about this question. The sprinters are more muscular than the average person, but they’re not really all that big. What really makes the difference is that they have very low bodyfat levels, which goes a long way towards making their muscles look big. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/13 "2012-08-05T21:13:22Z")
Because you sprint with your arms, using your legs. Heard some talking head around the time of Donvan Bailey’s heyday say that. ---
**Author:** ![MobiusStripes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MobiusStripes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MobiusStripes)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/14 "2012-08-05T21:18:35Z")
> [@D18](#): > > Because you sprint with your arms, using your legs. Heard some talking head around the time of Donvan Bailey’s heyday say that. They’re pretty much tied together. Try running without using your arms. It’s really hard. Sprinting is a full body activity. In the last 100m of a 400m race (eons ago in high school) my shoulders and upper arms would ache and burn. They’d burn out before my legs would. Lungs were gone at 300m and your chest would burn. Vision could get iffy near the end too. In one race I distinctly noting that my hearing was entirely gone, or at least, unprocessed by the brain. I have no memory of any sounds at all, despite all the yelling. Your arms pump in sync with your legs. They can help drive the legs up and forward in a sense. Much more so than distance running, though it’s a factor there as well. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/16 "2016-10-21T10:14:25Z")
> [@sprintquicker](#): > > I believe being stronger helps them get a better “more explosive” start. Just like drag racing, the first second is half of the race. You can check out how fast the start of the race is here: [Can You Beat Usain Bolt Out of the Blocks?](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/13/sports/olympics/can-you-beat-usain-bolt-out-of-the-blocks.html) ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/17 "2016-10-21T12:23:42Z")
Adding to what’s been said, well defined bodies appear bigger than they really are in pics and videos. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/18 "2016-10-21T13:46:28Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > You can check out how fast the start of the race is here: [Can You Beat Usain Bolt Out of the Blocks?](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/13/sports/olympics/can-you-beat-usain-bolt-out-of-the-blocks.html) Interesting. I did that little exercise 5 times. 4 times - 00.134 (faster than 99% of players) 5th time 00.136 ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/19 "2016-10-21T15:26:30Z")
The body type is in their DNA. Genetic research finds that every Olympic finalist in 100 meter over the past few decades can trace their DNA to West Africa. [http://run-down.com/guests/je\_black\_athletes\_p2.php](http://run-down.com/guests/je_black_athletes_p2.php) > [@](#): > > Over the years there have been more than two hundred studies comparing the body composition of athletes … Sprinters were the most muscular. Beginning at 400 meters on up to the marathon, athletes competing in these events were progressively less muscular in the upper body. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/20 "2016-10-21T16:14:56Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Interesting. I did that little exercise 5 times. > > 4 times - 00.134 (faster than 99% of players) > > 5th time 00.136 I can’t stop. When I don’t twitch and false start, I’m between .110 and .160. Make it stop! ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475/21 "2016-10-21T16:52:25Z")
All those muscles help keep their energy towards going forward. Weaker muscles allow their upper body and arms to flop around more, wasting energy in other directions. Watch how stable a sprinter’s upper body is, as are all elite runners at all distances. If you watch a novice runner, you’ll often see lots of wasted side-to-side and up-and-down motion in their upper body and arms. All of those extra motions are either wasting energy or causing energy to be directed towards counteracting the wasted force. If they did more to strengthen their muscles, they would be able to reduce the wasted effort and ensure more of their motion was directed towards going forward. Running, in general, doesn’t build up those muscles enough. They would need to do additional exercises which would be targeted towards building up that core strength. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sprinters-upper-bodies/630475.md?page=2)