Here's a recent study(pdf) by Weyand and Davis that looks at the relationship between running distance and body weight. As I've mentioned previously, we know that distance runners and sprinters have similar amounts of body fat, but different total weights. The Weyand study shows this to be true by looking at top performers at various track distances and recording their running weight.
Sprinters, covering distances of 100, 200, and 400 meters, all weighed roughly the same. After that, there was a bid dropoff in weight for top 800 meter runners. Weights continued to decline with distances through to 10,000 meters.
The authors conclude that greater running force is needed for the sprint distances, and hence a more muscular frame that can generate this force is necessary.
Here's a recent study(pdf) by Weyand and Davis that looks at the relationship between running distance and body weight. As I've mentioned previously, we know that distance runners and sprinters have similar amounts of body fat, but different total weights. The Weyand study shows this to be true by looking at top performers at various track distances and recording their running weight.
Sprinters, covering distances of 100, 200, and 400 meters, all weighed roughly the same. After that, there was a bid dropoff in weight for top 800 meter runners. Weights continued to decline with distances through to 10,000 meters.
The authors conclude that greater running force is needed for the sprint distances, and hence a more muscular frame that can generate this force is necessary.