Secret helps Usain Bolt run the fastest in the world

Scientific research shows that the special structure of the two knees can be the main cause of the overwhelming success of Jamaican sprinter athletes , including the men's 100 meters and 200 meters men's record.

>>>The secret of the fastest runners of the planet

Jamaica, the Caribbean island nation, has only 2.8 million inhabitants, which is less than the population of Los Angeles - the second largest city in the United States. However, this Central American country is home to many of the world's top sprint stars in both male and female content.

Recent scientific studies indicate that Usain Bolt's speed difference and some of his fellow athletes can be created from perfectly developed legs, especially on the knees. . Among those who participated in the tests, the athletes ran 100 meters of Jamaican with the most symmetrical knees.

The proportioned knee is an important factor that helps Bolt and many of his Jamaican compatriots excel on short distance runs.(Photo: Sport Science)

Robert Trivers, an evolutionary biologist and well-known anthropologist who graduated from Harvard University, now works at the School of Arts and Sciences (university in New Jersey, USA), along with some fellow Industry conducted a series of studies to find out the relationship between the balanced development of the legs and the phenomenon of Jamaican athletes overwhelming the short distance run over time. The group also learned from their own previous studies that the symmetry of two 8-year-olds can predict how fast a person will run about 14 years later.

"We used to wonder, 'Is there any relative relevance for symmetry levels for the ability of short-range runners to get the best results?" , Professor Trivers said. His elaborate study and his colleagues clearly showed that among the sprinter, those with the most balanced knees often achieve the best running times, and this is especially accurate. with athletes running 100 meters.

'We need to conduct research to ensure scientific accuracy. You can easily imagine why that is, " Mr. Trivers added. "If you look at someone running 100 meters, you can see his knee or she is constantly moving up and down, creating a force to push people running forward. Symmetry of both ends The pillow is very effective. "

According to information published in the prestigious US-based scientific journal PLOS ONE, and a representative office in the UK, researchers have measured the knee symmetry of 74 dominant sprinters. Jamaican nuns, and 116 Jamaican sprinters of the same age, same sex and similar weight height in each group. They found that the sprinters' knees were much more symmetrical than the knees of the comparison group.

Bolt and his compatriots like Blake still helped Jamaica maintain its dominance on the short distance run in the major playgrounds since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The 74 sprint athletes conducted the study were members of Jamaica's MVP Athletics Club, including the Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce phenomenon (the 27-year-old female athlete in a row won 100 meters in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics). ), and Nesta Carter (a 29-year-old male athlete with a track record of running 100 meters on Thursday, the member of the 4x100 meter relay team won gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics).

Of the 74 short-distance players studied, 30 who ran 100 meters without a turn were those with the most symmetrical knee construction. Professor Trivers explained that this finding shows that athletes running at distances over 100 meters must also make some left turns while racing, which leads to asymmetry over time, just as The phenomenon of unbalanced wheels can lead to uneven tire wear of the car.

In fact, scientists have long understood that bilateral symmetry of body parts is related to some advantage in many animals, including humans. Individuals with symmetrical structures tend to be stronger, healthier and have a better look. Symmetry also makes moving easier and saves energy.

But while this new study confirms that there is a link between the proportionality of the knee and the running speed of excellent sprinters, it is not sufficient to confirm the relationship. between the cause and the result. Professor Trivers explained more about this: 'We are not sure whether the short distance runners we studied are elite sprinters because their knees are naturally symmetrical. , or their knees become proportional due to regular training to run short distances. We just realized that excellent sprinters have more balanced knees than others. '

Professor Trivers

In the future, the professor and his colleagues will study the difference in strength between the left and right legs of sprinters. He is also interested in the special genetic structure of top sprinter athletes. West African genetic geneticists, including most Jamaican people, are known to have more "fast" muscle fibers , helping to generate energy from the body's own sugars more. it's because of oxygen, and it's really good for activities that require explosion in a short period of time.

Other studies partly explain why Usain Bolt is the fastest in the world at 100 meters and 200 meters.

1. Unusual power:According to a study published in the European Journal of Physics, Usain Bolt reaches 43 km / h (equivalent to 12.2 m / s) when setting a 100 meter world record in Berlin year. 2009. With a height of 1.95 meters, Bolt has less aerodynamic power than normal people, but less than 8% of the muscle's energy is used while he moves.
2. The spring turned on like a spring:The University of Virginia study showed that Bolt had some outstanding genetic elements.His feet bounced off the ground with a force of 453kg, which was more than double the average of 226kg of the average person.
3. Long footsteps:Bolt is much higher than most competitors.Each of his strides is about 2.44 meters long, which is about 20cm higher than other top sprinters.At the tournament in which he set the world record in Berlin in 2009, he reached the finish line after 41 runs, while the opponent came right after 44 runs.
4. Legs of symmetry:Like the study above, Professor John Manning of Northumbria University says Bolt has balanced legs, especially his knees, far superior to European competitors.
5. West African Root Gene:Scientists have found that Jamaican-West African athletes have a fast-twitching of leg muscle fibers, helping them to create explosive energy in a short period of time without much oxygen as they do. Other athletes.
6. Pretend to be afraid: Bolt always tries to imagine that he is being chased by someone or some dangerous animal, trying to run fast. 'I always pretended to imagine my opponents were giant spiders, and I had to run really fast to get rid of them,'Bolt explained.
7. A lot of sleep: Bolt focuses on sleeping more than the daily exercise regime. 'I went to the practice room at 10 am, after I woke up.'
8. Work closely with your feet:Bolt primarily performs exercises involving the lower half of the body, especially exercises that increase hamstring strength and wide leg stretch.
9. Aspiration to win yourself:Currently holding the world record hard to break, but Bolt is always hungry to conquer his previous achievements.