I watched much of the summer olympics this year. Track events are my favorite. I couldn't help but wonder what makes one runner better than another? They must all train hard. The difference between a gold and silver medal is often only a fraction of a second.

There isn't a simple answer known to mankind on this one. If there were, it would be worth a fortune! Besides training, many athletes use a wide variety of nutritional approaches with diet and supplements. Perhaps there is a magic recipe of factors that make THE difference.

From research on the subject of athletic performance, we know that balance and reaction time are important. These can be adversely affected by stretching long and hard just before an event. It's important to stay warmed up but too much stretching can actually reduce performance.

Even a small loss of dynamic balance and tiny change in reaction time can make a difference in the personal times of the top sprinters of the world.