## 4 Discussion  
The purpose of this study was to measure lower limb length (tibia, femur, and tibia + femur) using anthropometric methods in elite athletes and investigate the relationships between these values (both absolute and relative to height) and physical performance components. Additionally, the athletes were categorized based on the activity level classification table by [PERSON] et al. [17] and [PERSON] et al. [18] for a more detailed examination. The main findings of this study indicate that, regardless of sport type, longer leg lengths (tibia, femur, and tibia + femur; both absolute and relative to height) are significantly  
Figure 3: Relationships between relative leg lengths and physical performance by group. (**A**) Tibia length; (**B**) femur length. The lengths of the leg were normalized with body height to calculate relative leg lengths, which were expressed as percentages (i.e., the % of body height). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Variable** & **SU** & **SLJ** & **SI** & **10 mRT** & **SS** & **20 mSRT** & **SR** & **GS** & **PP** \\  & **(rp)** & **(cm)** & **(cm)** & **(s)** & **(rp)** & **(rp)** & **(cm)** & **(kg)** & **(w/kg)** \\ \hline absolute leg length & & & & & & & & & \\ \hline tibia (cm) & \(-0.109\) & \(0.  
correlated with muscular power, agility, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, and lower limb anaerobic peak power. In terms of group differences, the MD group showed the highest correlation between tibia length and muscular power; the HD group demonstrated the strongest correlation between tibia length and forward-backward agility; and the MD group exhibited the highest correlation between tibia + femur length and lateral agility. Thus, the results of this study provide further evidence that longer leg lengths, as measured by anthropometric methods, are positively related to various physical performance components in well-trained athletes across different sports. This supports the notion that longer legs may be advantageous for improving performance and athletic ability. Although several studies have described various anthropometric variables in elite athletes [27; 28; 29; 30], few have focused on the ratios of different anthropometric measurements [6; 31], which could be important characteristics of athletic performance. In our study, a positive correlation was observed between the total leg length (tibia + femur) and the shuttle run cardiorespiratory endurance test in all athletes (r = 0.168, \(p\) = 0.005). This finding is somewhat consistent with previous studies on high-level East African long-distance runners, where relatively longer legs were found to be advantageous for endurance performance [6]. [PERSON] et al. [32] reported a positive relationship between tibia length and Achilles tendon length, suggesting that longer tibia could contribute to better running performance. Furthermore, since leg length is related to stride length [5], it is proposed that shorter legs may require a lower work level, contributing to more efficient running performance [7]. Therefore, the total length of the femur and tibia plays a crucial role in achieving excellent running performance by improving endurance economy. Muscular strength and power, including better muscle function, are critical elements for athletes. These abilities are not only the first step in maintaining excellent performance but are also essential for reducing the risk of sports injuries [33; 34]. Additionally, the ability to rapidly change the speed and direction of the body's center of mass, known as agility, is a fundamental skill in most sports [35]. In this context, the ratio of leg length may be useful in reducing the inertial moment of the legs and the action of the hip flexors during phases when the body needs to move quickly and powerfully [36]. Therefore, this advantageous structure may contribute to the economic sprinting ability (muscular power and agility) of sprinters, potentially helping them achieve superior long-distance sprinting performance.