An Exploratory Vector Field Analysis of Ground Reaction Force During Maximum Sprinting Efforts in Male Soccer Players and Sprinters

The ability to accelerate and attain high velocities is essential for both individual and team sport athletes. The purpose of this explorative study was to retrospectively analyze the ground reaction force using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) vector field analysis, as traditional scalar analyses often fail to acknowledge the interdependence of force vector components. The ground reaction force vector and the scalar components (i.e., vertical and horizontal force) were analyzed for 28 male sprinters and 24 male soccer players at 8.0 and 8.5 m·s⁻¹, and between 85%, 90%, 95%, and 100% of their maximum velocity. The ground reaction force vector differed predominately during mid-stance and late stance between both groups at 8.0 and 8.5 m·s⁻¹. Within-group analysis also revealed that in both groups, the first ~60% of stance tended to increase in relevance when transitioning to higher sprinting velocities as evident by the increasing {T²} test statistic between adjacent velocity comparisons. Sprinters and soccer player reached their respective maximal sprinting velocity at ~40 m. This exploratory study discusses the potential limitations of scalar analysis and highlights the benefits of incorporating vector field analysis. Although both analysis methods resulted in similar conclusions in our re-analysis, vector field analysis may still enhance the understanding of force application in sprint performance by considering the interdependence of force components. We recommend utilizing vector field analyses alongside traditional methods in sports biomechanics research to ultimately enhance the accuracy of interpretations related to vector data.