Based on the kinematic and dynamic measurement and the intersegmental dynamics, the present study investigates the function of active muscle torque and different passive torques on lower limb joints during maximal sprint running in order to get insights into the effect of movement control on sport performance and injury prevention. Methods The subjects were 8 national level sprinters (best performance: 10.27 s–10.80 s). High-speed infra-red motion analysis system with 8 cameras (300 Hz) and force-plate system (1200Hz) were used to record kinematic and ground reaction force data synchronously. Based on inverse dynamics and intersegmental dynamics model, various interaction torques of lower limb during sprinting maximal speed phase were quantified. Results The results revealed that the dominating passive torque during the ground contact phase was the ground reaction torque (GRT), which acted to extend the knee joint during the initial stage of ground contact. The muscle produced a flexion torque in order to counter-balance the effect of GRT. This may lead to potential injury of hamstring muscles. In contrast, the inertial torque (the motion-dependent torque) dominated during the swing phase of sprinting, which reached its maximum during the later swing phase. Conclusion Both the initial stage of ground contact phase and the later swing phase of sprinting were considered as major phases in which hamstring muscle strain injury may occur. The muscle strain injury is a main limiting factor for enhancing sport performance.