THE INFLUENCE OF AGE AND REACTION TIME ON SPRINT PERFORMANCE: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY ACROSS THE LAST FIVE EDITIONS OF WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbeag.70.sp.iss.2.54Keywords:
World championship, speed, athletics, reaction speed, age of peakAbstract
Introduction: Sprinting performance has been shown to depend on multiple physiological variables, among which age and start reaction capacity may exert a major influence. Since hundredths of a second can decide the outcome of sprint races, understanding these factors has been considered essential. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationships between athletes’ age, reaction times at the start, and sprint performance, based on data from the last five editions of the World Athletics Championships. Materials and Methods: Official data on age, reaction times, and final results of athletes who competed in the 100 m and 200 m events (male and female) were collected and processed. Correlation statistical analyses were performed to identify potential associations between the studied variables. Results: Preliminary results showed a trend of increasing reaction times with age, as well as an association between faster reaction times and superior sprint performance. Discussion: These findings were consistent with previous studies that reported an association between increasing age and a progressive decline in reaction speed and sprint performance (Collet, 1999; Tønnessen et al., 2013; Haugen et al., 2019). Those studies showed that athletes typically reached peak sprint performance between the ages of 20 and 27, after which reaction times tended to increase, and maximal sprinting speed gradually declined. Conclusions: Age and reaction time appear to be relevant predictive factors for sprint performance and should be considered in the selection and training strategies of elite athletes.
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