Physics of falling says professional athletes are running wrong

NewsBot · Sep 29, 2015

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
From New Scientist:
Physics of falling says professional athletes are running wrong

Runners may be doing it all wrong. A slightly different posture could let runners and walkers get a gravity-driven boost ? and potentially break world records.
Click to expand...

?Gravity is there, and it drives us forward, but we immediately kill it by the way we run,? he says. ?Just by not being that killer, you can have 10 per cent more energy for free.?
Click to expand...

Gravity-driven horizontal locomotion: theory and experiment
Svein Otto Kanstad, Aulikki Kononoff
Proceedings of the Royal Society;

Gravity is usually considered not to contribute net energy to horizontal locomotion, the force of gravity being at right angles to the velocity vector. However, when walking or running, humans essentially rotate around the support foot while falling forward during the support phase of the stride. The body thereby acquires angular momentum and rotational energy that are entirely due to the force of gravity, which may be coupled into the forward motion as a source of propulsion upon landing on the other foot. A theory is developed to determine the magnitude and nature of these effects of gravity, showing that more than 10% of the energy needed for running can be obtained from the field of gravity. Likewise, at a particular optimum velocity, walking may become entirely driven by gravity-induced angular momentum without any muscular effort. Experiments with athletes running or walking on a treadmill?after appropriate training?are consistent with the theory: angular momentum-rich locomotion techniques would have applications in sports, competition running and the mechanics of walking, and in the making of leg prostheses and exoskeletons, and might help to explain how humans can outrun larger prey animals to exhaustion during hours of hunting pursuits.
Click to expand...

Admin2 · Sep 29, 2015

Related Topic:
Runners do not push off the ground but fall forwards via a gravitational torque

NewsBot · Sep 29, 2015

Here is Alex Hutchinson's spin on the above at Runners World:
Has a Norwegian Physicist Shown That All Elites Run Wrong?

Let me start by answering the question in the title: No. No, he hasn’t.
Click to expand...

NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

Admin2 Administrator Staff Member

NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes?

A good Physics Geek story

Laser ToeNail Physics 101

New material that redefines the laws of physics

Physics confirms sprinters are performing better than ever before

Help with Physics Speak

Physics challenge

Share This Page