*WINNER* Is there a relationship between lower body power and speed?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between a person’s lower body power and speed. Fifteen Exercise Science students (8 male and 7 female) participated in the study with ages ranging from 20 to 41 (23 ± 1.2 years). The instruments used in this study were the Brower Timing System (for run times) and the Just Jump Mat (for vertical jump measurements). All participants performed high knees, butt kicks, lunges, and a light jog for a warm-up. Participants were then asked to perform two timed 40-yd dash runs (5.75 ± 0.71 s) with their fastest time being recorded. Following the timed runs, participants performed two vertical jumps (18.88 ± 5.04in) with their highest jump being recorded. A Pearson correlation coefficient was computed to assess the linear relationship between lower body power and speed. There was a negative correlation between the two variables , r(13) = -.75, p = < .05. The results also showed that lower body power was a good predictor of speed, but was found to not be the only underlying factor in an individual's top speed. Furthermore, lower body power could help an individual in achieving their top speed, but is not a factor in maintaining top speed. This topic could benefit from more research into other factors in an individual’s top speed.