ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Dr. Amber Murphy: The Science of Speed, Sprint Mechanics & Injury Prevention
In this episode of Just A Cup, host Bryan Fetzer sits down with Dr. Amber Murphy, Ph.D., CEO of CompuSport and co-author of The Science of Speed: Practical Applications for Track and Field & Team Sport Coaches and Athletes.
Amber has spent more than two decades working in sports biomechanics and alongside the late Dr. Ralph Mann, an Olympic silver medalist and pioneer in the scientific study of sprinting and human performance. Today, she continues that work through CompuSport, helping athletes and coaches better understand movement using performance data, proprietary AI, and 3D modeling.
Bryan and Amber dig into one of the biggest questions in sports: What actually makes someone fast?
The conversation explores sprint mechanics from the start through maximum velocity and fatigue, why two athletes running the same time may need completely different corrections, and why coaching speed involves much more than simply telling someone to move their legs faster.
They also discuss the relationship between biomechanics and injury prevention, including why poor movement patterns can contribute to hamstring and Achilles problems. Amber explains how objective data can help coaches identify what may be limiting an athlete and build a more targeted plan rather than relying entirely on observation or guesswork.
The episode also explores talent identification. What characteristics indicate speed potential? How much can mechanics be changed? And how should coaches balance what the data tells them with the very human side of developing an athlete?
A major part of the conversation centers on The Science of Speed, written by Amber and the late Dr. Ralph Mann. The book translates more than 30 years of original research on elite athletes into practical applications covering sprint mechanics, starts and transitions, hurdling, fatigue, relays, team and winter sports, injury prevention, and talent identification.
Whether you coach track and field, football, soccer, rugby, baseball, or another sport where speed matters—and let's face it, speed tends to be pretty useful—this episode offers a much deeper look at what athletes and coaches can learn when experience and science work together.
Episode Guide- 00:00 – Welcome and introduction to Dr. Amber Murphy
- 03:00 – Amber’s journey into sports biomechanics
- 07:00 – Growing up around the research of Dr. Ralph Mann
- 11:00 – What actually makes an athlete fast?
- 16:00 – The biomechanics of sprinting
- 21:00 – Starts, acceleration and maximum velocity
- 26:00 – Why every athlete cannot be coached the same way
- 31:00 – Sprint mechanics, fatigue and performance
- 35:00 – Hamstring and Achilles injuries
- 40:00 – Using data, AI and 3D modeling in athlete development
- 45:00 – Talent identification and recognizing speed potential
- 50:00 – The Science of Speed
- 55:00 – Turning decades of research into practical coaching
- Final Minutes – Advice for coaches and athletes + closing thoughts
- Sports biomechanics
- Sprint mechanics
- How athletes become faster
- Acceleration and maximum velocity
- Starts and transitions
- Sprinting under fatigue
- Hamstring injury prevention
- Achilles injury risk
- Individualized athlete development
- AI and 3D modeling in sports
- Objective performance data
- Talent identification
- Speed development for team sports
- Track and field performance
- Coaching speed
- Translating sports science into practical coaching
- Dr. Ralph Mann’s research and legacy
- The Science of Speed
- CompuSport: compusport.org
- Dr. Amber Murphy on LinkedIn: LinkedIn Profile
- The Science of Speed: Available through major booksellers; the book was published in 2026 and is co-authored by Dr. Amber Murphy and the late Dr. Ralph Mann.
- CompuSport Contact: contact@compusport.org
- Watch This Episode on YouTube: Dr. Amber Murphy on Just A Cup
- Bleav – Just A Cup: Listen Here
- YouTube – Just A Cup: @coachfetzjustacup
Host: Bryan Fetzer Guest: Dr. Amber Murphy, Ph.D. — CEO, CompuSport; sports biomechanics expert; co-author of The Science of Speed
Additional Episode NotesCompuSport works with athletes and coaches to analyze movement and identify performance limitations using athlete data, proprietary AI, 3D modeling, injury-prevention insights, and individualized improvement plans.
Enjoyed this conversation? Follow Just A Cup, leave a rating or review, and share the episode with a coach, athlete, parent, strength coach, or sports-performance professional who might enjoy digging deeper into the science behind speed.#JustACup #TheScienceOfSpeed #AmberMurphy #SportsScience #Biomechanics #SprintTraining #SpeedDevelopment #TrackAndField #AthleteDevelopment #InjuryPrevention #CompuSport #Bleav
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Bryan Fetzer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanfetzer/
One-Line Guest Bio Dr. Amber Murphy, Ph.D. is the CEO of CompuSport, a sports biomechanics expert with more than 20 years of experience, and co-author with the late Dr. Ralph Mann of The Science of Speed, a practical guide to sprint mechanics, injury prevention, and talent identification.Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
