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Investigation of the Relationship Between Leg Length and Lateral

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Jumping Distance
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Introduction
In elementary school, I was an avid athlete. I loved every sport I tried. Physical Education was
my favourite subject. It was no surprise that every year, when our school would have an event
called track and field where it was a competition of physical finesse, I excelled. Everyone
competed in categories like running and jumping where stamina and fitness were crucial factors
in victory.

My favourite category was called the standing long jump. Everyone jumped one by one from a
stationary position and the winner was whoever could jump the furthest. I would come in the

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top three every year amongst my classmates and represent my school along with two others at

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the annual regionals competition. It wasn’t until later in high school did I realize that the top

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three winners in standing long jump were tall. I wasn’t short by any means; I was well above

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average in terms of height. Yet the people who jumped further than me were still taller. This led
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me to believe that there was very likely a relationship between leg length and jumping
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capabilities. Throughout this internal assessment, I hope to determine the answer to two
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questions:
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1. Is there a correlation between leg length, measured in centimeters from the top of the
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femur bone to lateral malleolus of fibula, and the distance the person is able to jump, in
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cm, from rest?

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2. If yes, is there an optimum point after which increasing leg length no longer increases
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lateral jumping distance?

My research topic involves statistics, as I will plot the relationship between distance and leg
length on a scatter plot. By doing this, I will also be able to calculate regression. This will then
allow me to conduct statistical tests in order to give a quantitative value to the relationship
between leg length and lateral jumping distance.

I will find 30 female high school students in Toronto, Canada, as a sample for my data. It will be
quota and convenience sampling, as I am choosing 30 individuals that fit a certain characteristic
(female and high school student) and asking my friends rather than posting an online survey.
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Everyone will have three chances to jump, and I will calculate the mean of the three jump
distances. I will be measuring leg length from the top of the femur bone to the lateral malleolus
of fibula in centimeters with measuring tape.

Definitions
Lateral malleolus of fibula: a knob on the outside of the ankle (Nemours Children Health
System, n.d.)
Femur bone: the only bone in the thigh
Optimal value: The highest or lowest point in a parabola

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Outlier: an observation that lies an abnormal distance from other values in a random sample

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from a population (Engineering Statistics Handbook, n.d.).

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Figure 1: Measurement of the Leg

Source: https://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/muscular/leg-foot
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The drawn diagram below shows the jumping and measuring process.

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Figure 2: Visual Representation of Normal Jumping and Measurement Process

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After each jump attempt, the student was asked to remain still and not move their feet. I then
measured from the starting line to the student’s heels (or hand if the student has fallen) in
centimeters. The student was allowed to move after I recorded the measurements.

Using the method described above and shown in Diagram 2, I collected data from 30 highschool
females by convenience and quota sampling. The table below shows the raw data of the leg
length of the 30 students, as well as the jump distance they achieved for each of the three trials.
The data from this table will be used to calculate the average jump distance for each student:
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Table 1: Raw Data of the Leg Length and Lateral Jump Distance of High School Females

Leg First Second Third Leg First Second Third

Length Jump Jump Jump Length Jump Jump Jump
(±0.1cm) Distance Distance Distance (±0.1cm) Distance Distance Distance
(±0.1cm) (±0.1cm) (±0.1cm) (±0.1cm) (±0.1cm) (±0.1cm)

82.2 151.6 153.8 159.0 76.2 171.2 173.2 170.4

79.6 175.4 170.6 178.2 81.2 182.8 185.4 184.8

70.2 149.4 150.2 148.0 73.6 159.8 116.2* 164.2

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81.4 192.6 190.2 188.8 71.8 160.6 164.8 165.8

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75.8 153.2 104.4* 148.6 90.8 180.2 182.6 179.4

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83.0 192.4 189.6 191.8 80.4 183.8 181.4 184.4

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87.2 176.0 178.2 179.2 @ 72.0 158.8 164.6 166.2
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84.0 180.4 181.4 180.4 76.4 168.4 167.2 167.8
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79.2 177.8 179.2 178.8 74.8 165.2 164.8 162.8

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73.6 161.2 159.8 159.2 70.2 154.8 156.2 153.6

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72.6 134.8* 160.2 159.4 75.6 176.4 172.2 153.4*

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69.4 150.2 150.4 148.8 80.6 179.4 177.6 176.6

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77.8 172.8 173.0 140.8* 71.8 161.2 163.6 121.8*

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75.8 169.8 174.2 174.4 72.2 155.4 157.8 152.8

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74.0 167.4 169.0 167.8 78.0 179.8 176.4 178.0

*Measured to a limb that wasn’t the foot due to non-ideal landings. Instead of landing on two
feet, the student fell and placed their hand behind them.
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Sample Calculation: Calculating the Mean Distance of All Three Jumps

Instead of making a scatter plot with different points for each of the three jump trials, I
calculated the mean of the three jumps. The decision to use the mean jump distance instead of
every individual jump is actually directly in contrast to standard procedure for the track and
field standing long jump, which states that only the measurement of the furthest jump is used.
However, the usage of individual trial jumps would have resulted in the inclusion of outliers,
discussed and calculated in Figure 3 below, therefore reducing the accuracy of the trendline
produced. In my opinion, calculating the mean jump distance of every student, with the

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exclusion of outliers, would be the most appropriate approach in making the most accurate

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model possible.

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I used the following equation to calculate the mean jump distance. The calculated mean jump
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distances were adjusted to one decimal place.
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𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙 1+𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙2+𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙3
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𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑗𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 3

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The calculation below uses the jump distances from the first student.
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151.6±0.1+153.8±0.1+159.0±0.1
𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑗𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 3
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464.4±0.3
𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑗𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 3

𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑗𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 154. 8±0. 1

The mean jump distance for the first student is 154.8±0.1cm. The unit used was centimeters
(cm), as it is flexible enough to accommodate all possible jump distances. It also allows for a
precise measurement with relatively low uncertainty while also being part of the
universally-recognized metric system (Metric System, n.d.).
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Below is the data table of the mean jump distance of each student, calculated as the sample
calculation shown above. This data table allows for me to graph the relationship between
average jump distance and leg length to determine the correlation between the two:

Table 2: Summary of Processed Data of the Average Jump Distance

Leg Length ( Average Jump Distance Leg Length (±0. 1𝑐𝑚) Average Jump
±0. 1𝑐𝑚) (±0. 1𝑐𝑚) Distance (

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±0. 1𝑐𝑚)

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82.2 154.8 76.2 171.6

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79.6 174.7 81.2 184.3

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70.2 149.2 @ 73.6 162.0
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81.4 190.5 71.8 163.7

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75.8 150.9 90.8 180.7

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83.0 191.3 80.4 183.2

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87.2 177.8 72.0 163.2

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84.0 180.7 76.4 167.8

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79.2 178.6 74.8 164.3

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73.6 160.1 70.2 154.9

72.6 151.5 75.6 167.3

69.4 149.8 80.6 177.9

77.8 162.2 71.8 162.4

75.8 172.8 72.2 155.3

74.0 168.1 78.0 178.1

Note: Outliers, determined below in Figure 3, were excluded from the calculations
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Because the inclusion of outliers would prevent the graph from being as accurate as possible, I
excluded them from the calculation in Table 1 above. I used a box and whisker graph below,
plotted using http://www.alcula.com/calculators/statistics/box-plot/, to visually represent the
outliers amongst the data collected.

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Figure 3: Finding the Outliers in the Data Set Collected

Using a GDC, I determined that the outliers in the data set collected are 104.4, 116.2, and 121.8
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After calculating the mean jump distance for each student and excluding the outliers, I plotted
the data points in a scatter plot graph, including uncertainties, using Google Sheets, as shown
below:

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Figure 4: Relationship Between Leg Length and Lateral Jumping Distance

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Looking at Figure 4 above, it can be seen that there is a trend: as leg length increases, so does
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lateral jumping distance. Just by looking at the data points, the models I am considering are a
linear regression model and a polynomial regression curve. However, it seems that, with the
exception of a few data points, the trend seems to be a linear correlation. Therefore, I decided
to make a graph with a linear trendline, shown below.
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Figure 5: Relationship Between Leg Length and Lateral Jump Distance with a Linear Trendline
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From Figure 5 above, with the use of a linear regression line, it can be seen that there is a
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relationship between leg length and lateral jumping distance. There is a linear positive trend line
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that represents their relationship. However, when{𝑥 ∈ 𝑅 | 𝑥 > 83}, the data points no longer
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follow the trend line. Rather, they stay at somewhat of a constant. I believe that this is the case
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because there is an optimal value that, if surpassed, will no longer continue to display a positive
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linear correlation between leg length and jumping distance.

It is also important to consider the limitations within my collected data sample. I collected data
from 30 students. Of those students, only 3 people had a leg length of over 83 cm. That is not
enough data to allow for a good trendline or regression model. Therefore, the trendline in
Figure 5 is not an accurate representation of data for all people with leg lengths above 83 cm.
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To measure the correlation between leg length and lateral jumping distance, I conducted a
statistical test to find the value of 𝑟. The closer the 𝑟value to − 1or1, {𝑟 ∈ 𝑅 | − 1 < 𝑟 < 1},
the stronger the correlation between two variables

The Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient, r, is

a numerical measure that gives a
quantitative value to the strength
between the two variables.
Using a GDC, I calculated the value of r:
𝑟 ≈ 0. 74
From the value of r, there is a

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medium-strong correlation between leg
length and jumping distance in the data

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sample collected.

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The linear regression equation for Figure 5 obtained using a TI-84 Plus CE graphing calculator is:
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𝑦 = 1. 72𝑥 + 35. 9
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In the equation of the regression above, y represents the average horizontal jump distance in
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centimeters while x represents the leg length, also measured in centimeters. The regression
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line, however, should only be used to predict the y when{𝑥 ∈ 𝑅 | 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 83} because there
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is no longer a positive correlation between the two variables beyond the domain given. This
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indicates that there is an optimal value at around𝑥 = 83.

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Due to this, I decided to graph a polynomial regression to see if it would be better suited to the
collected data set than a linear regression model. A polynomial regression curve would show a
clear optimal value, as well as model the trend more appropriately when
{𝑥 ∈ 𝑅 | 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 83}. The graph below shows the relationship between leg length and
average jump distance with a polynomial regression curve instead of a linear regression line.
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Figure 6: Relationship Between Leg Length and Lateral Jump Distance with Polynomial Trendline
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In a polynomial regression model,

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there is no Pearson’s Correlation

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Coefficient. Instead, I will be using

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the 𝑅 value to compare the fit of

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the linear model and polynomial

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model below.
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𝑅 ≈ 0. 615

Using a GDC, the polynomial regression curve equation obtained is:

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𝑦 = − 0. 10𝑥 + 17. 2𝑥 − 570
Where y represents the average horizontal jump distance in centimeters while x represents the
leg length, also in centimeters.
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To compare both models and determine which one is a better fit for the data sample collected, I
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compared the 𝑅 values, which determines how suitable a regression line is to the data it’s fitted
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{ }
to (Hershy, 2019). The larger the 𝑅 value, 𝑅 ∈ 𝑅 | 0 < 𝑅 < 1 ,the better the model is
suited to the data sample collected.

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The 𝑅 value in the linear regression model (Figure 5), calculated using a GDC, is 0.543. The 𝑅
value in the polynomial regression model (Figure 6) is 0.615.

0. 615 > 0. 543

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Because the 𝑅 value of the polynomial regression model is larger than the 𝑅 value of the linear

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regression model, a polynomial trendline would be a more accurate representation of the data
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displayed. The regression falls to the left and falls to the right as well for the end behaviours.
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Conclusion
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The graph and the trendline are not good choices for extrapolations. Data when
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{𝑥 ∈ 𝑅 | 𝑥 > 83}becomes extremely unreliable due to lack of information, but both the linear
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regression model and the polynomial regression curve are good fits when
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{𝑥 ∈ 𝑅 | 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 83}. This is also indicated by the 𝑅 values, 0.543 and 0.615 respectively, One
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could use the regression equations to fairly accurately predict lateral jumping distance (y) when
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given leg length (x).

However, it is important to note that if one were to extrapolate data, the linear regression
trendline will continue to display a positive correlation between leg length and jumping
distance. The polynomial trendline will display a negative correlation between leg length and
jumping distance after the optimal value. I find that these are both unrealistic predictions of
possible trends. It is impossible to make a good extrapolation with such little data. I think that if
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I had found more students with longer legs, I would have been able to come to a more concise
conclusion and make a prediction with evidence supporting my theory.

Because there is a correlation between leg length and lateral jumping distance, as determined
by Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient, r, it can be said that one has a greater chance to jump
further with longer legs. I understand that my height was likely a prominent factor of my success
in the standing long jump. Even so, there were more than two people who were taller than me,
but I still placed in the top three every year. This lead me to believe that there were other
factors that influence one’s success in the standing long jump, such as:

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1. Athleticism

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Some people, like me, have been involved in sports and physical exercise for a very long

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time. This means that their muscles are more developed and are likely stronger
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(University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, 2016). They also have more
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muscle mass, which allows them to excel in physical activities such as the standing long
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jump. An athlete with shorter legs could very well jump further than a normal person
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with longer legs due to the sheer difference in muscle.

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2. Body Mass Index

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While the body mass index (BMI) is not a good indicator of health, several studies have
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shown that there is a correlation between higher BMI and reduced physical performance
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(Shen et al. 2015). Because I did not set a BMI range when collecting data, there were
people with varying BMI. This indicates that those who have a higher BMI likely did not
perform as well as their counterparts that have lower BMI. This also ties in with the first
possible factor, as athletes tend to have lower BMI.

3. Race
It has been scientifically proven that some races have a natural athletic advantage over
others (Encyclopedia.com, n.d.). Those of West African ethnicity have significantly more
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fast-twitch fibers and anaerobic enzymes than Caucasians. This will result in stronger
muscles and increased physical performance. For example, if one were to ask two
people, with all other factors being the same (gender, age, BMI, mentality), one of
african descent and the other of caucasian descent, it is extremely likely that the person
of West African descent will perform better.

4. Mentality
Those who have a naturally more competitive mindset would have tried harder than
those who don’t particularly care (Neat., 2018). During my data collection process, it was

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easy to tell which people cared about their results and which people simply did it as a

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favor to me. Those who had a competitive mentality usually jumped progressively

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further at each trial, whereas those who didn’t care jumped haphazardly.

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While I do believe that this investigation was conducted well, there are always limitations. My
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first limitation was data sample size. Due to COVID-19 and the new protocols, I had a hard time
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finding even 30 girls to collect data from. I believe that, given a larger sample size, I would have
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been able to draw a more reliable conclusion. However, to do this, I would have had to gather a
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large number of people at once, which is simply not possible. If I had asked every student to
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measure themselves, I would have had a larger sample size, but also another limitation
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regarding the consistency of the measurement process. Therefore, I limited myself to collecting
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data from only 30 people. The second limitation occurred during the data collection process.
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Instead of allowing the students to rest after every jump, I asked them to perform three
consecutive jumps immediately one after the other. This would have caused muscle fatigue and
strain, hindering them from their peak performance. The final limitation was the type of
sampling I used. I only reached out to those I already knew to ask to collect data from them.
Instead of using quota convenience sampling, I should have used quota random sampling. It
would have been beneficial to have a wider variety of students to collect data from, as it
provides a more insightful perspective on how the other factors listed above could influence
lateral jumping distance as well.
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Based on my collected data, the longer the leg length, the greater the jumping distance. Even
though the end behaviour indicates that jump distance is no longer directly influenced by leg
length when {𝑥 ∈ 𝑅 | 𝑥 > 83}, people with longer legs still jumped further than those with
shorter legs. Overall, it can be concluded that there is a correlation between leg length and
lateral jumping distance, as I expected. The 𝑟value indicated that there was a medium-strong
correlation between leg length and lateral jump distance, which makes sense when I realized
that there were many other factors that contributed to success in the standing long jump.

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I’d like to do further research on whether leg length affects other physical performances as well,

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such as sprinting and high jump. Both of these demand a lot from the athlete’s legs, therefore I

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believe that there will be at least some sort of correlation. However, they also require the use of

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other parts of the body, such as stamina and momentum, unlike the lateral long jump. Because
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of this, I think there will be less of a correlation between leg length and better performance, but
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I cannot be completely sure until I conduct another investigation.

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References
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Neat. (2018, August 22). How Your Mindset Can Influence Your Performance. Neat
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Nutrition.https://www.neat-nutrition.com/blogs/news/how-your-mindset-can-influence-your-p
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erformance
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Corporate Finance Institute. (2020, February 18). Correlation. Corporate Finance

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Institute. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/finance/correlation/
Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). Genetics and Athletic Performance. Retrieved February 4,
2021, from
https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ge
netics-and-athletic-performance
Engineering Statistics Handbook. (n.d.). 7.1.6. What are outliers in the data? Retrieved
February 4, 2021, from
https://www.itl.nist.gov/div898/handbook/prc/section1/prc16.htm#:~:text=An%20outlier%20is%
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20an%20observation,random%20sample%20from%20a%20population.&text=Examination%20
of%20the%20data%20for,often%20referred%20to%20as%20outliers.
Hershy, A. (2019, October 15). Calculating R-squared from scratch (using python) -
Towards Data Science. Towards Data Science.
https://towardsdatascience.com/r-squared-recipe-5814995fa39a
Innerbody Research. (n.d.). Muscles of the Leg and Foot. Innerbody. Retrieved February
3, 2021, from https://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/muscular/leg-foot
metric system. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 4, 2021, from
https://www.britannica.com/science/metric-system-measurement

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Nemours Children Health System. (n.d.). A to Z: Fracture, Lateral Malleolus (for Parents) -

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Nemours. Retrieved February 3, 2021, from

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https://kidshealth.org/Nemours/en/parents/az-fracture-malleolus.html#:~:text=The%20knob%

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20on%20the%20outside,called%20a%20lateral%20malleolar%20fracture
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TeachMe Anatomy. (n.d.). The Femur - Proximal - Distal - Shaft - TeachMeAnatomy.
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Retrieved February 3, 2021, from

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https://teachmeanatomy.info/lower-limb/bones/femur/#:~:text=The%20femur%20is%20the%2
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ae

0only,%3B%20proximal%2C%20shaft%20and%20distal
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University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences. (2016, November 2). New
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research on the muscles of elite athletes: When quality is better than quantity. ScienceDaily.
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Retrieved February 3, 2021, from

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161102132208.htm
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