why do blacks run so fast?

Answer 1

they have another muscle in there foot or ankle

Answer 2

First there's a major difference between West Africans and East Africans. Since most slaves were taken from Western Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and that coast) most blacks from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad are of West African descent.
I'm not doctor, but there are two general types of muscle fiber: fast twitch and slow twitch. Fast twitch fibers are important for quick explosive activities like sprinting and jumping. West Africans tend to have a higher proportion of fast twitch fibers than Europeans or Asians. That's why almost all world class jumpers, sprinters and even a disproportionate number of professional athletes are black and specifically West African.

On the other hand East Africans (Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia) have a large amount of slow twitch fiber, which is essential for longer endurance racing. While individuals do vary, this is essentially why East Africans tend to dominate the marathon and long distance scene.

So the short answer is that for some reason parts of Africa have developed gene pools with extraordinary athletic ability. It is important to see the difference between a Kenyan and a Ghanan since their athletic ability would likely be completely opposite.

Answer 3

this is ridiculous.
NO race or ethnic backround is superior.
Jessie proved it to Hitler over fifty years ago and its still true. Regardless of the fact that Jessie WAS indeed black, he falsified any faith in such thing as a "master race". If you actually GO to a track meet, you will find an amazing array of multi ethnic athletes, and people of all colors finishing first. The reason that mostly black americans dominate this sport is more rationally a culture thing. I mean, according to the pseudo-logic of other opinions here, this must mean that white people are naturally more adept at hockey, or that Puerto Ricans are naturally good at hitting home runs. It just doesnt make sense. The only explanation i can deduce is that Hockey is more popular with whites than any other race, and baseball is the most popular sport in Puerto Rico, and the same must apply to running.

Answer 4

A fair question...

Speed and endurance are a function of genetics and training. At the elite level, all the athletes train smart, and hard.

So, those with great speed have an overabundance of fast-twitch muscle fiber. Those with endurance are blessed with more slow twitch muscle fiber.

Some blacks are incredible sprinters, while some have unbelievable endurance.

I don't think anyone can say to any degree of certainty how exactly this comes to be, but forces in the environment, i.e. natural selection plays a role.

Answer 5

Most of the information posted here is false. All this "being bred for speed" is false. First off their is no scientific test for race, so how could we know one race is faster than another. Second off, people talk about the breeding during slavery, there are many problems with this idea. First off, why would a slave owner breed his fastest slaves??? That makes no sense. Second off, it takes a long time for a true change to happen and slavery only last a few hundred years. Also it wasn't a clean jean pool. Slave owners were regularly raping female slaves and putting their childern to work as slaves.

Dr. Harry Edwards explains this argument very well. Heres an exerpt of him talking about why "the white athlete dissappeared" and I think this argument also applys to this question:

Last year, Sports Illustrated featured a cover story of "What Ever Happened to the White Athlete?" Do you know what has happened to the white athlete?
HE: Well, the white athlete over the last fifty years has simply been displaced by a pool of largely untapped athletic talent, generated by a lack of alternative highprestige occupational opportunities for masses of young black males, and increasing females. I think that once this untapped pool of talent had access to three or four sports it was inevitable that ultimately blacks would end up representing disproportionately high numbers. That is what happen to the white athlete in basketball, football, track, not field, boxing and to a certain extent in baseball.

But in ninety-five percent of American sports the white athlete is there in numbers and dominant. The white athlete is there in swimming. The white athlete is there in diving. The white athlete is there in water polo. The white athlete is there in golf. The white athlete is there in tennis. The white athlete is there in badminton. The white athlete is there in auto racing. The white athlete is there in horse racing. The white athlete is there in soccer, walking, gymnastics, and all the winter sports in dominant numbers. What happened to the white athlete? The white athlete is there, except in those three, four, or five sports where blacks have had access.

The other thing that has happened is that blacks have changed the nature of some sports. Black culture, isolated from white society, from slavery right up to integration, developed styles of playing basketball, football, baseball, and boxing, that whites had to learn to accommodate to or get out of the sport. So if you'd brought in a point guard, who dribbled the ball through his legs, and passed the ball behind this back, you better have a guy to guard him. Otherwise you were at a severe disadvantage. What this generally meant was going into the black community to get someone who had played that kind of ball.

Finally, whites have access to the full spectrum of sports, and the full spectrum of highprestige occupational positions. They are not channeled into sports in disproportionately high numbers, and that white talent for sports is spread out across all occupations, and across all sports. Well, blacks don't typically have those same opportunities.

Answer 6

ok this is kionda a question i don't think people would usually ask but ok most black people run fast well i know most people that are from africa thats out here they run so fast its crazy you know there skinny and tall and have long strong legs so thats what make them run so fast i'm not saying all skinny people run fast because some big people run fast i know all whole lot of people thats skinny that can't run nothing they be getting like 16 minutes on there mile time

Answer 7

You guys can't say that this is a racist question. I'm black, and I was offended at all.

Anyways, think of races like breeds of dogs. Blacks, on average, are like greyhounds (only we don't chase rabbits). If you put the average German Shepard (white, hispanic, asian, native american, etc.) against it, the greyhound will win.

Why?

Because greyhounds were bred for speed. They have all the characteristics needed for running fast.

In a way, blacks were 'bred' for speed. In Africa, we had to run and jump a lot. So it just comes naturally.

(And if you pay close attention, you'll notice that blacks are taller and have a more muscular body in comparison to other races. I think Hispanics and Latinos are very similar to us.)

Kay, Spontania's out....

Answer 8

They train very very hard. Those Ethiopian long distance runners get up at 4am for their first workout and then do at least another training session later on in the day. I wouldn't be surprised if they do 20-25 miles daily. I once read somewhere that they run fast because there are usually warning signs for nearby lions in the country where they train. :)

Answer 9

Thats actually a stereotype just like people say asians are smart and europeans are beautiful or asians are bad drivers. But Spontanious is right, they were bred or lets just say meant to be that way. Think about what happened during the time or slavery where there was a hard working african american guy and he got married to w woman , then their kids will have the same traits as the hard working guy from genetics.

So, you see, thats the way it is...

Answer 10

'cause all the slow one's are in jail....juusst kidding

A lady has already answered your question very well...though I wouldn't say every black person is fast, just like every asian is not smart or every european is not beautiful...but generally speaking...populations of african ancestories were indeed 'bred' that way (if you have some history background in slavery and it's context)...that's why you can say they are fast...and most of the supermodels are from europe and smarty pants from asia...but that's generally speaking and personally I think you can be as fast or as smart or as beautiful as anyone...given that you have the passion for it ;)

[and hope you guyz didn't mind the little humor, i know they're prolly many of you ready to bombard me with comments of being racist, ignorant bla bla, but personally I'm not one at all.]

Answer 11

I don't think this is a racist question AT ALL. I've always said that black people are blessed! they can do things that we cant and I admire them for that. I feel a little intimidated by them because they look so strong and powerful and I wish I could have a little bit of that!!! it must be their genes!!!