“Pogo stick” effect seen in running

Horses may run on twice equally many legs equally humans, but on a key degree the mechanics are most identical, a researcher says.

Muscle size, genetics too grooming are amid the countless factors that split upwards Olympic sprinters from the average person.

On a basic level, however, the mechanics of running are the same for all humans. In fact, they’re basically identical for animals, too.

“Science has shown that running is real similar to a bouncing ball,” says Young-Hui Chang, an associate professor alongside the Georgia Institute of Technology who oversees its “running lab”, officially called the Comparative Neuromechanics Laboratory.

“When humans, horses too fifty-fifty cockroaches run, their essence of majority bounces simply similar a pogo stick,” Chang says.

This bouncing effect, Chang explains, way that the hip, human knee too talocrural articulation joints all flex too extend at the same fourth dimension when the human foot hits the ground. Many of the leg muscles are turned on simultaneously, creating forcefulness too propelling the runner into the air.

“The greater the force, the greater the speed,” Chang says.

“Sprinters too coaches are constantly studying ways to movement leg muscles too joints equally rapidly equally possible too thus that a runner tin hitting the set down equally difficult equally possible.”

Elite runners too weekend joggers are able to consistently province alongside the same force, pace later on step.

However, Chang’s query reveals that a stride is simply similar a fingerprint: no ii are just alike. The torque generated yesteryear each articulation is never the same. As a result, legs tend to bring a hear of their own.

“Your knee, for example, automatically adjusts its ain torque, each step, based on what the talocrural articulation too hip do,” Chang says.

“All of this happens without your encephalon getting straight involved. Your joints ‘talk’ to each other, allowing you lot to concentrate on other things, similar having a conversation or watching for cars.”

By studying how joints adjust to i another, Chang too his squad volition shortly function alongside amputees to hopefully meliorate drive for people alongside prostheses. The researchers are also using their running studies to empathize how people walk.

“It may look backwards to fully empathize the nuances of running earlier nosotros written report walking, but walking mechanics are genuinely to a greater extent than complex. Different muscles are activated at unlike times inwards a gait cycle. Joints don’t movement inwards unison. There is no ‘bouncing ball’ phenomenon for walkers.”

Chang is an associate professor inwards the School of Applied Physiology inwards the College of Sciences.

 

 

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