Final answer:
Among athletes, a tennis player would generally be expected to have less flexibility compared to a marathon runner. This difference is attributed to the reliance on toned skeletal muscles necessary for tennis, which may limit range of motion, versus the endurance-oriented slow-twitch muscle fibers prevalent in long-distance runners.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering different body types of athletes and their potential for flexibility, various factors such as muscle composition and the training specific to their sports come into play.
Tennis players, referenced in Figure 10.1, rely heavily on toned skeletal muscles which are required for the rapid, powerful movements needed in the sport.
This can sometimes result in a reduced range of motion or flexibility due to the nature of the training emphasizing strength and agility.
On the other hand, marathon runners like the one mentioned in Figure 15.5.5 typically have a high proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are more conducive to endurance and can be associated with better flexibility compared to their fast-twitch counterparts that are designed for power and speed. Thus, when comparing the two, one might expect a tennis player to have less flexibility than a marathon runner due to the differences in muscle composition and training.