why does a short distance runner have a more muscular body than a long distance runner?

Answer 1

dosent that depend on the individual runner?

Answer 2

Sprinters require explosive power over short distances, requiring more muscle to do so.

Long distance runners require endurance, which in part requires minimal weight because the less weight you have to propel, the less energy required.

You also have to consider cause/effect. Is it the long distance running and the burning of more calories that causes a distance runner to be lean, or the fact that a runner is lean that enables them to be a successful LD runner. You'll note that many long distance runners are of smaller stature, you don't see alot of 7 foot tall LD runners. Body type, including size and body fat, can assist or prohibit certain people from being successful runners, LD or sprinters.

Answer 3

Wow, lots of incomplete answers so far. It really comes down to how the body works. When you are doing cardio for a long time, the body will burn any source of energy it has available. This includes not just fat, but muscle mass as well. Thus, distance runners tend to be somewhat small, as every time they run a long distance, they burn more muscle mass.
Sprinters on the other hand, require a large burst of energy for only a short period of time. Only fat get burned, no muscle. This, their type of running lends itself to building of muscle. They of course augment that with lifting, to help have more of that "burst" of short duration energy.

Answer 4

hello

the long distance runner use less the energy of his musculs and more the energy of his lungs and heart wich he needs to train to be capable of long time runes , and he doesnt run very fast relativly

a short distance runners runs much much faster and so he needs many musculs BUT he almost not breathing and using his lungs and heart during this time.