Strength and sprint performance in wheelchair athletes

The relationship between strength, exhibited by an athlete in both dynamic constant resistance and isokinetic exercise, and sprint performance was investigated in 12 wheelchair track athletes (32.2 ± 9.3 years old, National Wheelchair Athletic Association functional classification ranging from II to V). Strength tests included a 1 repetition maximum (RM) bench press and an isokinetic arm compound movement (60°•sec^-1and 180°•sec^-1). Times for a 40 and 100m wheelchair sprint were also measured. A nonsignificant correlation was observed between the 40 or 100m sprint time and the 1 RM bench press (r = -0.38 and r =-0.31) and between the 40 or 100m sprint time and the arm compound movement both at a speed of 60°•sec^-1(r = —0.05 and r = —0.16) and 180°• sec^-1(r = -0.18 and r = -0.11). Therefore, strength in the upper body musculature of the wheelchair athlete appears not to be a valid predictor of their wheelchair sprint speed. This finding emphasizes the importance of additional factors, such as racing technique, functional classification, and training experience affecting an athlete’s wheelchair sprint performance.