Mental toughness and physical performance in competitive sprinters across 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m events

Purpose This study investigated physical and psychological attributes associated with sprint-event specialization among athletes competing in the 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m events. It examined differences in body composition, explosive power, sprint-protocol time, strength, endurance, estimated maximal aerobic capacity, and mental toughness. Methods A cross-sectional study included 75 competitive male sprinters, with 25 athletes in each of the 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m groups. Body composition, including BIA-estimated skeletal muscle mass (SMM; kg), was assessed using multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis, lower-limb explosive power using the standing broad jump, total sprint-protocol time using a 30 m sprint test comprising acceleration and flying phases, and upper-body power using underhand forward and overhead backward medicine-ball throws. Agility, aerobic endurance, anaerobic speed endurance, and estimated maximal aerobic capacity were evaluated using standardized field tests. The Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) assessed confidence, constancy, and control. Differences among the three sprint-event groups were examined using one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey-adjusted or Games–Howell post hoc comparisons, as appropriate. Mean bias-reduced multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations of standardized body-composition, physical-performance, and mental-toughness variables with sprint-event specialization, with the 100 m group specified as the reference category. Results Significant between-group differences were observed across several physical and psychological outcomes. The 100 m sprinters demonstrated the greatest standing broad jump distance (2.52 ± 0.13 m), whereas the 400 m sprinters achieved the lowest (2.07 ± 0.16 m, p < 0.001 ). Total 30 m sprint-protocol time was lowest in the 100 m group (7.92 ± 0.88 s), followed by the 400 m group (9.44 ± 1.21 s), and was highest in the 200 m group (10.66 ± 1.94 s, p < 0.001 ). The 400 m group demonstrated the highest shuttle-run-derived estimated VO 2 max (61.48 ± 1.88 mL.kg −1 .min −1 , p < 0.001 ) and total mental toughness score (37.04 ± 2.54, p < 0.001 ), whereas the 200 m sprinters recorded the lowest mean times in the 150 m flying-sprint (14.77 ± 2.48 s) and 300 m standing-start sprint tests (36.11 ± 1.39 s) ( p < 0.001 ). In the exploratory mean bias-reduced multinomial logistic regression, a one-standard-deviation increase in BIA-estimated skeletal muscle mass was associated with lower relative odds of membership in the 200 m group versus the 100 m group (OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.05–0.58, p = 0.005) and higher relative odds of membership in the 400 m group versus the 100 m group (OR = 19.79, 95% CI 3.94–99.39, p < 0.001). Greater confidence was associated with lower odds of 200 m versus 100 m group membership (OR = 0.35, 95% CI 0.17–0.69, p = 0.003), whereas greater control was associated with higher relative odds of 400 m versus 100 m group membership (OR = 5.31, 95% CI 2.04–13.84, p < 0.001). Conclusion Physical and psychological profiles differed across sprint-event specializations. These findings identify event-specific differences in explosive power, shuttle-run-derived estimated aerobic capacity, and mental toughness characteristics but should not be interpreted as indicating that these characteristics determine sprint-event specialization.