• Question: Why is it that usan bolt can run so fast even though science has proven it is impossible ??

    Asked by liverpool123 to Claire, Kate, Matt, Rob, Sam on 17 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Sam Geen

      Sam Geen answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      I’m pretty sure it’s not impossible that he can run as fast as he does? But it’s a mixture of things – training hard and having the right body type. It helps that he’s nearly 2m tall, for example, because this means that he has longer legs.

    • Photo: Matthew Pankhurst

      Matthew Pankhurst answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      He’s proven it a few times so it’s not impossible! That’s what scientists like to see – repeatable results! He can run fast because he’s trained his muscles to clench very quickly, over and over, which means his legs carry him quickly. A runner also uses other muscles for stability and balance, so he has to train them too. Practice practice practice…!

    • Photo: Claire Lee

      Claire Lee answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      Also he’s probably got short muscle fibers, which are great for quick movements and sprints. (This is mainly genetic, so again, right body type). He is pretty amazing though.

      Fun fact: after his amazing performance in the 2008 Olympics a bunch of astrophysicists submitted a paper to the American Journal of Physics titled “Velocity dispersions in a cluster of stars: How fast could Usain Bolt have run?” 🙂
      http://arxiv.org/abs/0809.0209

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