31–37 of 37 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If muscles could apply the full force in the fraction of time that feet touch the ground Or if they could touch the ground for longer. We need human mounted wings to provide some downforce :) Or more realistically an elastic belt strapped to the runner, and running on a track underneath them.
So, we need longer feet. Or longer shoes.
I've modified my running gait to about 186 steps per minute to reduce vertical motion (about 6 cm as measured by the PT at the runner's clinic). I'm still building up the muscles to maintain this gait longer than a minute or two, though.
It would be interesting if a new and improved (or reconstructed Paleolithic) method of running is developed that would enable the average person to reach speeds of 35 MPH (56 KPH) or even faster.
If I could run that fast, I'd get rid of my car and run to work every day. They'd have to have running lanes, maybe even issue speeding tickets to runners who race through a school zone. Road rage would take on a whole new dimension, as well. The economy would be transformed as millions of cars are discarded, gasoline consumption plummets, and people become thinner and healthier.
I've always been curious: in an enclosed stadium on the moon, would humans run the 100 yard dash faster or slower? I think the first reaction people have is "faster, since you weigh less". But I think the answer is slower, because you would actually be near-floating and contact the ground less. I got into a fight with people on ask.metafilter when I asked this same question, so I had to let it go. But still I hope so…
You would certainly accelerate much more slowly, since the upper limit of acceleration is bounded by your friction with the ground, which is bounded by your weight, i.e., your mass times gravity. What's not clear is whether you could reach a faster peak speed. I think it would be tough to reach a fast speed since your joints would need to oscillate rapidly in order to push off ground moving as fast. And each time you…
Is "optimal running gravity" the gravity under which you'll run the fastest, or the gravity under which you'll have suffered the least amount of physical damage after running for a fixed distance/time?
Wind resistance has to be a factor after 25mph, I mean it is on my electric bicycle. And holy cow, even 25mph is crazy fast, 35? If you tripped and fell at 35-40mph you could seriously injure yourself. I think I have a good question for the xkcd q&a site: how fast could Usain Bolt run on the moon (ignoring the oxygen problem). Ah I see someone beat me to the moon problem. Here's another thought, without strong gravit…
To be fair, this is quite true at walking speeds as well. Falling is bad. I passed out from dehydration once while standing still; I ruptured my spleen in the fall and almost needed surgery to have it removed (thankfully, it healed while I was under observation).
More frequent steps per minute (higher frequency gait) might enable higher speeds because of more contact with the ground and less vertical motion. More contact with the ground provides more friction with which to hurl the body forward. However it also requires more energy. I've modified my running gait to about 186 steps per minute to reduce vertical motion (about 6 cm as measured by the PT at the runner's clinic).…
More frequent steps per minute (higher frequency gait) might enable higher speeds because of more contact with the ground and less vertical motion. More contact with the ground provides more friction with which to hurl the body forward. However it also requires more energy. I've modified my running gait to about 186 steps per minute to reduce vertical motion (about 6 cm as measured by the PT at the runner's clinic).…
That's some wishful thinking right there, I love it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not exactly. Horizontal acceleration takes the same amount of energy. The mass of the body must also be supported upon landing, which obviously takes more energy with more gravity.
Interesting. So it will feel like your normal weight in the horizontal dimension, but it will feel like wearing a 100-pound backpack in the vertical dimension. Your ultimate running speed then depends on how strong you are. That 100 pound "backpack" will push you into the ground and give you far more acceleration than your normal weight would allow: it will feel like you have ultra-traction. But when you push to the…
More gravity, to a point, will increase running speed. Would be interesting for someone to calculate the optimal gravity for running.