Why? The Science of Athletics

HUMAN MECHANISM 107 counsel of perfection is frequently offered to sprinters to try to make their arms work faster than their legs, Factors Gov– erning Speed of Muscular Movements although they are told that it _is impossible for them to do such a thing. Nature has a way of settling these matters for us, and it is scientifically correct to say that we cannot move our arms more than ten times in a second and even so the movements would be very small. Muscles that are small and light are able to contract much more rapidly than those that are big and heavy. The expression "in the twinkling of an eye" comes, no doubt, from the fact that muscles which close the eyelid are able to contract so rapidly, having only a small object to move, that their action is merely one ofinstinctive protection. The contractile strength of muscles is enormous, and if we were suddenly given the power to move our larger muscles as rapidly as our will moves those controlling the eyelid there is no doubt that our bigger muscles would break. That is why man cannot, at present, move faster than he does. · None the ess the time it takes us to contract a muscle does not depend upon the size of that muscle, but rather upon its intrinsic qualities. Again, it often happens that an athlete breaks down because he tries to increase the range as well as the intensity of his effort. In this connection sprinters in particular should remember that what they lose in stride length can always be compensated for by frequency of movement. For sprinters especially, rapidity of action is essential, for, as H. M. Abrahams and his brother point out in their book Training for Athletes (H. M. & A. Abra– hams, G. Bell & Sons Ltd., London), "A runner with a maximum stride of 7 ft. 4 ins. will in go strides cover 22o ft. If he can in the same time put in an extra stride, even with the loss of an inch per stride, he will cover 224 ft. 9 ins.- that is a gain of 4 ft. 9 ins." All of which goes to prove the contention that muscle– building must be carried out in accordance with the purpose for which training has been undertaken.