Here’s what I can empirically state via personal coaching experience and what I, and the rest of the world, have observed via watching the worlds fastest sprinters for many years.
From a visual standpoint, the fastest sprinters seem to share the following anthropometric characteristics:
- small waists/hips
- long legs/short torso
- relatively long achilles tendons
From a morpho-biomechanical standpoint we know these sprinters must have:
- high percentage of white fiber
- favorable tendon insertions distal to the joint they cross
- high musculo-tendonous elasticity
From a neurological/neuromuscular standpoint we know that reaction times seem to be related much more to genetic factors versus trainedness
and more recent studies (the Japanese study on Powell, etcetera) seem to suggest the cross-sectional diameter of the psoas may be linked to sprint potential. While more studies would have to be conducted in this regard it certainly makes sense.
Taking all of this, and more, into account a very large research study would have to be conducted at a global scale in order to determine which populations have the highest concentrations of the requisite characteristics.
For what it’s worth, speaking strictly in terms of my own coaching experience, which has included working primarily with African American and Caucasian athletes, I am able to state that a greater percentage of my African American athletes share the requisite characteristics that are observable from a visual standpoint.
Additionally, my fastest Caucasian and Hispanic athletes, while fewer in number, share the same visually identifiable anthropometric characteristics as my fastest African American athletes.