Supertraining

Hi Paul!
 
I'm sure an op-ed appearing on a university website is not the way any of  
these researchers would like to have their findings presented to the general  
public.  In fairness, this may have been an issue with the Cologne group's  
initial findings as well.
 
I think it's best to wait for all specifics of the study, which I'm sure  
will submitted for publication. 
 
Regarding fatigue as an issue:  I'm only conjecturing here, but it  seems as 
if the thrust from some of the initial reports centered on the notion  that 
Pistorius was running 'negative' splits in the 400, and that this suggested  
his 
Cheetahs were in some way (weight, design, or whatever) reducing his  
metabolic cost.
 
So how to explain these 'negative' splits?  Pistorius's carbon fiber  
Cheetahs can mimic muscle-tendon function once up to speed,  but  acceleration 
is  an 
entirely different matter.  When Tony Volpentest  ran here in Lisle back in 
'97, what struck me is that he was a   surprisingly poor starter.  In the 100 
meter dash, he was beaten by three  runners from a Masters field I had 
assembled to race against him.  However,  in the 200, the situation was 
completely 
different.  Once he was up to  speed, he caught the field, blew past them, and 
ended up with  a  22.94, which at that time was an 'unofficial' world 
paralympic 
record at that  distance.
 
The problem, and this has been noted by other researchers not directly  
involved in the testing, is that these carbon fiber blades are not 'adjustable' 
 to 
the demands of acceleration.  The blades can't 'mimic' the mechanics of  
acceleration, and with no ankle and calf,  these below-the-knee amputees  can't 
"push-off," and this means less acceleration of their center of mass. 
 
Ken Jakalski
Lisle High School
Lisle, Illinois USA