Data from: Lower body symmetry and running performance in elite Jamaican track and field athletes

In a study of degree of lower body symmetry in 73 elite Jamaican track and
field athletes we show that both their knees and ankles (but not their
feet) are – on average – significantly more symmetrical than those of 116
similarly aged controls from the rural Jamaican countryside. Within the
elite athletes, events ranged from the 100 to the 800 m, and knee and
ankle asymmetry was lower for those running the 100 m dashes than those
running the longer events with turns. Nevertheless, across all events
those with more symmetrical knees and ankles (but not feet) had better
results compared to international standards. Regression models considering
lower body symmetry combined with gender, age and weight explain 27 to 28%
of the variation in performance among athletes, with symmetry related to
about 5% of this variation. Within 100 m sprinters, the results suggest
that those with more symmetrical knees and ankles ran faster. Altogether,
our work confirms earlier findings that knee and probably ankle symmetry
are positively associated with sprinting performance, while extending
these findings to elite athletes.