The Evolution of Athletic Performance

Introduction

• Olympic Motto: "Citius, Altius, Fortius" - Faster, Higher, Stronger
• 2012 Olympic marathon winner completed in 2 hours and 8 minutes
• Comparison: 1904 Olympic marathon winner would be nearly an hour and a half behind
• Key question: How have athletes improved so significantly?

Case Study: Jesse Owens vs. Usain Bolt

• 1936: Jesse Owens' 100-meter world record
• Usain Bolt would have finished with Owens 14 feet behind
• Demonstration:
  • Owens ran on cinders; Bolt on synthetic track
  • Owens used a trowel to dig starting holes; Bolt used starting blocks
  • Biomechanical analysis: Owens would be within one stride if on same surface as Bolt

Technological Advances in Track Surfaces

• Roger Bannister's Sub-Four-Minute Mile (1954)
  • Ran on cinders
  • Today's college athletes run sub-four-minute miles
  • Synthetic tracks vs. cinders: 1.5% slowdown
  • Applying slowdown: Only 530 out of 1,314 men achieve sub-four-minute on synthetic track
• Training Improvements
  • Modern training is more sophisticated and professional
  • Example: 1904 marathon winner used rat poison and brandy

Technological Advances in Swimming

• 100-meter freestyle records:
  • Flip turn introduction (1956)
  • Pool gutters introduction
  • Full-body, low-friction swimsuits

Cycling Advances

• Eddy Merckx's 1972 Record: Longest distance cycled in one hour
  • Improvements with aerodynamic bikes until 1996 (35 miles, 1,531 feet)
  • 2000: Requirement to use 1972 equipment
  • Record today: Only 883 feet further than Merckx's original record

Evolution of Athlete Body Types

• Body Specialization
  • Early 20th century: Average body type preferred
  • Modern sports: Highly specialized body types
  • Example: Elite high jumpers vs. shot-putters
  • The Big Bang of Body Types
  • Height vs. mass dispersal
  • Digital technology's role in changing incentives for athletes

Basketball Body Types

• NBA Player Proportions
  • Increase in 7-feet tall players
  • Average NBA player: 6'7" height, 7' arm span
  • "Vitruvian Man" wouldn't apply

Adaptations for Specific Sports

• Gymnastics
  • Shorter average height over 30 years
• Swimming
  • Long torso, short legs ideal
  • Comparison: Michael Phelps vs. Hicham El Guerrouj

Genetic Advantage in Specific Populations

• Kenyan Distance Runners
  • Kalenjin tribe physiology: Long and thin limbs
  • Evolutionary adaptation for cooling
  • Performance comparison: Kalenjin achievements vs. American records

Changing Athlete Mindsets

• Physical Limits and Perception
  • Brain as a limiter of physical capabilities
  • Ultra-endurance sports as an example
  • Evolutionary suitability for endurance sports
  • Feats of athletes today: Example of Kílian Jornet's Matterhorn ascent

Conclusion

• Factors pushing athletes forward
  • Technological innovation
  • Genetic selection and adaptation
  • Changing mindsets and understanding capabilities
• Impact: Athletes are stronger, faster, and better.

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Thank you for listening. (Applause)