# Why do sprinters need big biceps?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sprinters-need-big-biceps/261794>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 27, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sprinters-need-big-biceps/261794 "2004-08-27T15:38:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sprinters-need-big-biceps/261794/1 "2004-08-27T15:38:24Z")

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Maybe [Shawn Crawford](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040826/photos_ts_afp/040826231955_idegmv4d_photo0) is an extreme example, but all Olympic sprinters have ripped, cut, buff upper bodies. You don’t see this in the longer distances; 800m and longer runners tend towards long & lean body types.

Why do you need arm strength to sprint?

Or is just that the steroids give you muscles everywhere, whether you need them or not? 🙂

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sprinters-need-big-biceps/261794/2 "2004-08-27T15:57:18Z")

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Because in a short sprint, every gazillionth of a second counts. If they can use their arm muscles to generate driving force to yank themselves forward, it makes them that much faster.

Not so useful in longer distances.

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sprinters-need-big-biceps/261794/3 "2004-08-27T15:57:20Z")

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Sprinters still need to look good in product endorsements. And, uh, there really oughta be a good groupie joke in here somewhere.

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sprinters-need-big-biceps/261794/4 "2004-08-27T16:05:06Z")

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There was a previous thread on this very recently.

> **[Why do sprinters have powerful upper bodies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=271370)**
>
> What’s the contribution of arm swing to forward momentum

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sprinters-need-big-biceps/261794/5 "2004-08-27T16:46:29Z")

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Because proper leg training will make your arms big.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sprinters-need-big-biceps/261794/6 "2004-08-27T17:05:08Z")

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The ripped look comes from having very low bodyfat. Even normal-sized arm muscles will look fairly ripped if they have good muscle tone and very low bodyfat. And sprinters certainly seem to be extremely bodyfat-deficient, so…