This article challenges the common assumption that the goal of the acceleration phase in sprinting is to simply maximize acceleration. Instead, it reframes the objective around building velocity—step by step—with smart, forceful, well-timed ground contact. By unpacking the physics, biomechanics, and coaching implications, it highlights why chasing acceleration can sometimes undermine overall speed and offers a better framework for understanding what really moves athletes forward.

Why can’t sprinters just keep accelerating? This article dives into the ultimate constraints on human sprint velocity, from ground reaction forces and muscle-tendon dynamics to neural limitations and air resistance. By understanding these biomechanical and physiological bottlenecks, we can uncover what separates the fastest sprinters from the rest—and whether humans have reached their absolute speed limit.

Not all fast-looking athletes are actually fast, and some of the smoothest runners on the track are deceptively quick. This article breaks down why perceived speed and actual speed don’t always align, exploring the biomechanics of stride length, stride frequency, and force application. Discover why some sprinters appear explosive but fail to clock elite times, while others seem effortless yet dominate races. The truth about speed is more than meets the eye.

For decades, athletes and coaches have blamed lactic acid buildup for muscle fatigue, soreness, and performance decline. But what if everything you thought you knew was wrong? This article dismantles the biggest myths surrounding lactate, revealing its true role as a fuel source, performance enhancer, and metabolic buffer—not the villain it’s been made out to be. Backed by modern research, we’ll explore why lactate doesn’t cause acidosis, how it actually helps sustain high-intensity efforts, and what this means for sprinting, endurance, and training strategies.

Science is often criticized for its evolving nature, competing theories, and shifting paradigms. In The Problem with Science, we explore four major criticisms—elusive truth, underdetermined theory, paradigm shifts, and social construction—through the lens of biomechanics and sport science. While these challenges raise valid questions, the strongest defense of science lies in its predictive power and ability to refine knowledge through empirical testing. This article makes the case that, despite its imperfections, science remains our most reliable tool for uncovering truth.

Force or Velocity? The False Dichotomy in Sprinting explores the common misconception of categorizing sprinters as either force-dominant or velocity-dominant. By breaking down the science of sprint mechanics, the article reveals why this binary framework oversimplifies the complex interplay of biomechanics, muscle physiology, and training adaptations. Instead, it offers a more holistic understanding of sprint performance, emphasizing the integration of force and velocity to achieve peak speed. Whether you're a coach, athlete, or sports scientist, this article challenges outdated ideas and provides actionable insights for optimizing training and performance.

This article presents a practical, science-backed solution: using basic geometry to create precise, repeatable curved sprinting drills. With a simple rope or tape measure, some cones, and a bit of math, coaches can eliminate guesswork and design drills tailored to their athletes’ development. Whether focusing on agility with tight curves or speed endurance with gentler arcs, this method ensures consistency across sessions, improving both performance and measurable outcomes.

This article offers a personal reflection on my journey through science—from my beginnings as a curious athlete to becoming a scientist and communicator. It delves into my desire to bridge gaps, not only between science and practice but also within my own knowledge. I discuss how science, divorced from the humanities, loses meaning and how I strive to ground my work in what truly matters to people. With a broad expertise spanning from whole-body performance to muscle mechanics, I explore how connecting knowledge across scales and refining communication can inspire curiosity and drive progress.

This article explores the dynamic relationship between stride length and stride frequency in sprinting, emphasizing how both components contribute to speed. It delves into the biomechanics of contact length, aerial length, and the critical role of impulse in balancing force application and ground contact time. With practical insights and tailored training strategies, the article guides athletes on optimizing stride length and frequency without sacrificing effectiveness or increasing injury risk.

This article explores the proper use of mechanical terms like work, energy, force, impulse, momentum, and power in the context of sprinting. It emphasizes why impulse—not power, peak force, or rate of force development—is the key metric for sprint performance. By examining the unique demands of sprinting and the force-velocity relationship at both the whole-body and muscle level, it provides a nuanced framework for designing effective training programs grounded in biomechanical principles.

This article critically examines the spinal engine hypothesis, which claims the spine actively drives locomotion. Beginning by clarifying the incorrect use of the term “theory,” it presents a balanced steelman of the hypothesis before debunking it with evidence from elite sprint biomechanics. The detailed analysis highlights how high-level sprinting performance relies on limb-driven propulsion and core stability, not spinal motion, offering a clearer understanding of evidence-based locomotion mechanics.

This article clarifies the distinctions between hypotheses, theories, and laws, with examples from kinesiology, biomechanics, and physiology. It emphasizes the strength of scientific theories, debunking common misconceptions, and explores key theories like gravity and evolution alongside laws such as Newton’s and Kleiber’s. Ideal for readers seeking a deeper understanding of the science behind human performance.