Relations of the Variables of Power and Morphological Characteristics to the Kinematic Indicators of Maximal Speed Running

The aim of the present research was to investigate the relations of 7 variables of power and 12 variables of morphological characteristics with the kinematic indicators (stride frequency, stride length, foot-ground contact duration, flight duration) of maximal running speed. The research was conducted on a sample of 133 physical education male students, 19 to 24 years (age 21.7 ± 1.08; body height 180.8 ± 6.98; body weight 76.6 ± 7.62), freshmen at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb. By means of the component model of factor analysis under the GK criterion and non-orthogonal rotation under the promax criterion the following factors were obtained: three morphological factors (skeleton dimensionality, in which the longitudinal component prevailed, body voluminosity and subcutaneous fatty tissue) and two factors of power (power of a jumping type and ballistic power). Canonical analysis of the morphological factors and power factors with kinematic parameters resulted in two pairs of canonical factors with statistically significant canonical correlations (Rc1=0.76; p<0.01, and Rc2=0.57; p<0.01). On the basis of the first pair structure of canonical factors it was concluded that the Faculty of Kinesiology students who had pronounced dimensionality of skeleton, a smaller amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue and better developed relative power, performed longer strides in maximal speed running. The structure of the second canonical factor pair indicated that the students with the greater skeleton dimensionality had a smaller frequency of strides and their foot-ground contact lasted longer. It was also determined that stride length and stride frequency were negatively correlated in maximal speed running which was the result of positive correlation between skeleton dimensionality and stride length, on the one hand, and of negative correlation between skeleton dimensionality and stride frequency on the other. The findings may contribute to a better understanding of the factors responsible for sprint performance in the population of athletes who are not top-level sprinters, i.e. they may be useful to PE teachers, coaches who work with novices in athletics and physical conditioning coaches who work in sports other than athletics, to get a more thorough insight into the sprinting efficiency mechanisms.