Supertraining

In a message dated 5/20/2008 1:57:29 PM Central Daylight Time,  
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

how is  it that highly elastic 
prothesis material isn't better than nature at  conserving energy through the 
cycle? 
Or is there some (coincidently)  equally offsetting inefficiency in the 
utilization of the prothesis?  


***
The point in presenting the Dick Taylor research was to suggest that the  
metabolic importance of swinging limbs is small, and that is in  response to 
the 
those who felt the lighter weight of the Cheetah--relative to  the return of 
the swinging limb--might be what is conferring an advantage  for Pistorius. 
Again, this is only conjecture until we see what tests the  research team 
actually performed.  
 
Regarding the elasticity of the Cheetah providing an advantage in the  return 
of the free swinging limb, that would mean that limb repositioning would  
have to be a key factor in determining how athletes achieve faster speeds,  and 
that is not true for able-bodied runners (JAP 2000)  If you are  suggesting 
that the Cheetah is imparting greater elastic recoil via greater  ground 
support 
forces, I should think that the team would have looked very  closely at 
Pistorius's contact time at top speed.
 
Again, fun to discuss, but until we see the specifics of their  testing 
(which may be sooner than later) we really don't know why seven top  locomotion 
guys signed off on the report. 
 
Ken Jakalski
Lisle HS
Lisle, IL USA