Supertraining

In a message dated 5/18/08 2:40:46 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

> <getting up on the soap box>
> 
> Just my uneducated opinions here.... I take a simplistic view of this.
> 
> I find this whole activity of measuring the blade's mechanical
> advantage interesting but pointless. Measurements mechanical and
> metabolic advantage should not come into the equation. It should not
> be about how good the prosthetic is.
> 
> Our thinking has become clouded by our desire to be sensitive to
> "non-traditionally-abled" athletes.
> 
> At what point in the advanced design of prosthetic devices would an
> athlete be disqualified from competing against athletes with more

***
Not at all on the 'soap box'.   I agree entirely with your veiw from a pure 
sporting perspective.
We don't race horses against zebras either.   Your race car comparison should 
be well taken.

Nor do we allow athletes with lower body paralysis or complete amputation to 
race against able-bodied runners by use of a hand driven cart or hand cycle.
In that case, also I suspect, we would find that the cart athlete has a 
slower acceleration but can maintain a high top speed once he has attained it.  
 I 
suspect that upon metabolic testing, the cycle or cart athlete would also show 
similar fatigue onset characteristics and oxygen uptake rates.

While in the world of sport, yours may be the primary arguing point; I am 
still interested in and question the scientific basis of the 
advantage/disadvantage analysis.   In pure science, the question; "Of what use 
is it?" is without 
merit.   The principles and fundamental nature of the phenomena are of prime 
interest.

Cheers,

Paul Boardman
Chicago, USA