A new study shows that prostheses hinder running performance
A new study shows that prostheses hinder running performance
A huge controversy erupted in 2008 when double- amputee Oscar Pistorius tried out to compete in the Olympics, because he ran on “Cheetah Flex-Foot” prosthetic devices. It was assumed that because Pistorius did not have leg muscles, he had an advantage over the other runners because his cardiovascular system would have less muscle to supply oxygen to. Consequently, the IAAF, which governs track and field competitions, banned “ ‘any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device’ ”. Pistorius was outraged, saying that since sprinting is an anaerobic event, a person’s aerobic capacity should not be an issue. The IAAF argument would hold up better in the case of a marathon, where aerobic metabolism is more of an issue. Because of this, the Court of Arbitration of Sport overturned the IAAF’s previous ruling four months later, and Pistorius was allowed to enter in the Olympic trials. Later, biomechanical experts studied the “stride timing and forces exerted on the ground with both a biological leg and prosthesis at speeds from jogging to sprinting.” They found that, rather than giving an advantage, prosthetics actually hinder a runner, by providing less “ground reaction forces,” which is what provides more speed. Contrary to original opinion, sprinters that rely on prosthetic legs are at a disadvantage to people on their biological legs because they cannot hit the ground as hard and fast, so cannot achieve the highest sprinting speeds. Although this is still true, researchers are still working hard to develop prosthetics that some will find to be truly better than the God-given originals.
http://www.examiner.com/x-19794-Boston-Triathlon-Examiner~y2009m11d6-A-new-study-shows-that-prostheses-hinder-running-performence
-Amanda Rose
A huge controversy erupted in 2008 when double- amputee Oscar Pistorius tried out to compete in the Olympics, because he ran on “Cheetah Flex-Foot” prosthetic devices. It was assumed that because Pistorius did not have leg muscles, he had an advantage over the other runners because his cardiovascular system would have less muscle to supply oxygen to. Consequently, the IAAF, which governs track and field competitions, banned “ ‘any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device’ ”. Pistorius was outraged, saying that since sprinting is an anaerobic event, a person’s aerobic capacity should not be an issue. The IAAF argument would hold up better in the case of a marathon, where aerobic metabolism is more of an issue. Because of this, the Court of Arbitration of Sport overturned the IAAF’s previous ruling four months later, and Pistorius was allowed to enter in the Olympic trials. Later, biomechanical experts studied the “stride timing and forces exerted on the ground with both a biological leg and prosthesis at speeds from jogging to sprinting.” They found that, rather than giving an advantage, prosthetics actually hinder a runner, by providing less “ground reaction forces,” which is what provides more speed. Contrary to original opinion, sprinters that rely on prosthetic legs are at a disadvantage to people on their biological legs because they cannot hit the ground as hard and fast, so cannot achieve the highest sprinting speeds. Although this is still true, researchers are still working hard to develop prosthetics that some will find to be truly better than the God-given originals.
http://www.examiner.com/x-19794-Boston-Triathlon-Examiner~y2009m11d6-A-new-study-shows-that-prostheses-hinder-running-performence
-Amanda Rose
posted by AmandaRose at 7:47 AM
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