Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
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Re: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
#2[2010], but fascinating all the same.
If you'd asked me how fast an elite sprinter could run today, I would probably have thought of running 100m in a little under 10s, but I don't think I would have connected that mentally with the idea that Usain Bolt runs almost as fast as a car on our 30mph streets, albeit very briefly.
Re: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
#3Title had me confused for a bit. The article says that it was previously thought that the amount of force a limb can apply to the ground was the limiting factor in speed. However, it turns out that the actual limiting factor is how fast the muscles can apply that force. If muscles could apply the full force in the fraction of time that feet touch the ground, then that person would achieve those speeds.
Interesting result.
Re: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
#4> "Despite how large the running forces can be, we found that the limbs are capable of applying much greater ground forces than those present during top-speed forward running.”
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if they extrapolated this from one-legged hops, which put all of your weight on a single leg, isn't that more akin to measuring the ground force from jumping than it is to running?
Re: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
#5Running on a treadmill (as in this experiment) is quite different from running on an all weather track as sprinters do. I wouldn't be surprised if they got quite different results if somehow they were able to measure this on a non-moving track.
Re: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
#6Running on a treadmill (as in this experiment) is quite different from running on an all weather track as sprinters do. I wouldn't be surprised if they got quite different results if somehow they were able to measure this on a non-moving track.
I can't see how it'd make any difference for this experiment. They were measuring ground forces applied by the runners and how fast those forces are applied, so unless the all weather track has artificial gravity…
Re: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
#7> "Despite how large the running forces can be, we found that the limbs are capable of applying much greater ground forces than those present during top-speed forward running.” Correct me if I'm wrong, but if they extrapolated this from one-legged hops, which put all of your weight on a single leg, isn't that more akin to measuring the ground force from jumping than it is to running?
That's my understanding as well. The title makes no sense and seems very click-baity.
"Our simple projections indicate that muscle contractile speeds that would allow for maximal or near-maximal forces would permit running speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour and conceivably faster"
So essentially if human physiology worked differently than it did, we could theoretically run much faster. Not a useless result, but not really anything as exciting as they make it sound.
Re: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
#8Title had me confused for a bit. The article says that it was previously thought that the amount of force a limb can apply to the ground was the limiting factor in speed. However, it turns out that the actual limiting factor is how fast the muscles can apply that force. If muscles could apply the full force in the fraction of time that feet touch the ground, then that person would achieve those speeds. Interesting re…
> 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.
Re: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
#9More about Usain Bolt's peak performance: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2378698/Scien...
Re: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
#10I'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 someday the Olympics are held on the moon so I can get my answer.