What determines how fast you can physically run?

Question

Is it genetics, physical build, something in the brain, or something else entirely?

Answer 1

Your muscles are comprised of "fast-twitch" and "slow-twitch" fibres.

Long distance runners have more slow twitch muscle fibres, and sprinters have more fast-twitch muscle fibres.

Obviously the more muscle you have, the more muscular fibre you will have, and the type and intensity of training you do will determine the whether you develop fast or slow twitch fibres.

Answer 2

a number of tings... obviously fitness plays a huge part... bcoz no fatman can run really fast! genetics is a big part of it if u want to do well competitively. but mentally is a huge part also... for the last yr i ***** break 2min for 800m... i was runnin as close as 2.00.01... last saturday i ran 1.56 outta da blue and now 3 times in 4 days i ran 1.56,1.58,1.59... dat 2minute barrier was entirely mental

Answer 3

It's all in the mind up until a certain weight/width.