PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

How Usain Bolt can run faster -- effortlessly

2012-04-05
(Press-News.org) Usain Bolt can achieve faster running times with no extra effort on his part or improvement to his fitness, according to a study published today in Significance, the magazine of the Royal Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association. Cambridge Professor of Mathematical Sciences John D. Barrow illustrates how, based on concrete mathematical evidence, Bolt can cut his world record from 9.58 seconds to 9.45.

Usain Bolt holds the current 100m world record, at 9.58s, and has been described as the best sprinter there has ever been, dramatically reducing his running times since he first won the world record in 2008. Previous scientific studies have been carried out aiming to predict his maximum speed, yet have failed to take all the relevant factors into account, and Bolt has already surpassed the speeds they predicted.

Today's Significance study highlights the three key factors instrumental in improving Bolt's performance, which combined produce an improvement of 0.13s.

Firstly, Bolt's reaction time is surprisingly poor, in fact one of the longest of leading sprinters. By responding to the gun as quickly as possible without triggering a false start, with 0.10s, he would shave 0.05s off his world record to 9.53s.

Secondly, advantageous wind conditions can help athletes improve their times, although this is supposedly taken into account. Bolt's Berlin record of 9.58s benefitted from a modest 0.9m/s tailwind. If he were to benefit from a maximum permissible tailwind of 2m/s, he would expend less effort on beating wind drag and reduce this record further by 0.05s to 9.48s.

Thirdly, running at altitude reduces the air density in the wind drag calculation, as was witnessed at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City (2240m above sea level), where significant improvements over short distances were displayed (although for longer distances the altitude makes running more difficult). As a result, athletics world records are only permitted at altitudes of up to 1000m, but this still allows Bolt to reduce his time by a further 0.03s to 9.45s if he runs at this altitude.

"With the relatively big chunks we've seen Bolt take out of world records, we are still a long way from understanding the limits of his, and others', sprinting speeds," said Professor Barrow. "What this study serves to illustrate is the insight maths can give into sports performance, which has not been done previously to such a degree of accuracy."

INFORMATION:

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Is rainfall a greater threat to China's agriculture than warming?

2012-04-05
New research into the impact of climate change on Chinese cereal crops has found rainfall has a greater impact than rising temperature. The research, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that while maize is sensitive to warming increases in temperature from 1980 onwards correlated with both higher and lower yields of rice and wheat. The study was carried by Dr. Tianyi Zhang, from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, and Dr. Yao Huang, from the Institute of Botany, both at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The paper is part of a special ...

Reducing hospital admissions for asthmatics

2012-04-05
Children with moderate or severe asthma attacks who are treated with systemic corticosteroids during the first 75 minutes of triage in the Emergency Department (ED) were 16% less likely to be admitted to hospital. This highlights the importance of adopting a strategy to rapidly identify and begin treating children with moderate or severe asthma attacks directly after triage, according to a team of investigators working at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center (UHC), the University of Montreal, McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University ...

NRC authors brief federal agencies on the state of polar regions

NRC authors brief federal agencies on the state of polar regions
2012-04-05
AMHERST, Mass. – The U.S. National Research Council this week released a synthesis of reports from thousands of scientists in 60 countries who took part in the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-08, the first in over 50 years to offer a benchmark for environmental conditions and new discoveries in the polar regions. University of Massachusetts Amherst geosciences researcher and expert in the paleoclimate of the Arctic, Julie Brigham-Grette, co-chaired the NRC report, "Lessons and Legacies of the IPY 2007-08" with leading Antarctic climate scientist Robert Bindschadler ...

South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA) Emerges as an Environmental Leader, in Energy Digital

2012-04-05
In a report in Energy Digital, SOCWA sets the standard for its methods of handling wastewater in a way that respects its customers as much as the environment. Ever wonder what happens to the water that goes down the drain after you brush your teeth in the morning, take a shower, flush the toilet or run the washing machine or dishwasher? For most of us, the answer is no—what's out of sight is out of mind. But as water becomes an increasingly valuable resource, especially to Californians, it's about time we start taking a look at just how important the process of treating ...

Vanderbilt researchers help reveal complex role of genes in autism

2012-04-05
Nashville, TN -- Mutations in hundreds of genes involved in wiring the brain may contribute to the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). That is one of the rather daunting conclusions of a paper published in the current issue of the journal Nature by a multi-institutional team that included researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. But while there is no simple explanation for ASD, the researchers identified a few genes as "genuine risk factors," raising hopes that they will be able to discover the underlying biological cause of these disorders. ...

In-school tests suggest overweight boys and girls benefit from being fit

2012-04-05
BOSTON (April 4, 2012) – Improving or maintaining physical fitness appears to help obese and overweight children reach a healthy weight, reports a new study from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Researchers analyzed four years of data from in-school fitness tests and body mass index (BMI) measurements of students in grades 1-7 in the city of Cambridge, Mass. In the study published online March 15 by the journal Obesity, Sacheck and colleagues examined the association between weight status and fitness levels by assessing student ...

MWM Pioneers Innovative Approaches to an Energy-Efficient World, in the March Issue of Energy Digital

2012-04-05
In a report in Energy Digital, MWM takes a holistic approach to providing decentralised, eco-friendly energy supply. With a portfolio that boasts systems and power plants ranging from 400 kWe to 100 Mwe and more, the use of co-generation and tri-generation have enabled efficiencies as great as 95 per cent. This has allowed for much better use of scarce energy resources compared to conventional power generation technologies on the market. MWM's eco-friendly plants allow for decentralised, combined energy generation with extremely high efficiencies. Different types ...

Community-onset Clostridium difficile linked to higher risk of surgery

2012-04-05
Chicago, IL (April 4, 2012) -- Patients whose symptoms of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) start outside of the hospital setting have a higher risk of colectomy due to severe infection, according to a large multicenter study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Infection from C. difficile is associated with antibiotic use and results in colitis and diarrhea. Severe cases can be life-threatening. Colectomy, or ...

Improving equine health: Research studies vaccinations to protect newborn foals

2012-04-05
MANHATTAN, KAN. -- A Kansas State University veterinary medicine student is investigating ways to improve horse vaccinations and defend them against pathogen challenges at an early age. Research from Allison Jordan Bryan, a graduate student in biomedical sciences and a second-year veterinary medicine student, Huntington Beach, Calif., may help protect foals as young as 3 months of age from pathogens such as West Nile virus, tetanus, equine influenza virus, Equine Herpes Virus-1, Eastern equine encephalomyelitis and Western equine encephalomyelitis. "It is important, ...

Manroc Developments Remains a Leader in Innovating Approaches to Mining, in Energy Digital

2012-04-05
In a report in Energy Digital, Manroc's ground-breaking Alimak and narrow vein mining techniques prove to lead the industry in terms of safety and cost-effectiveness. As the main Alimak mining company in the world, Manroc's innovative mining technologies hold a competitive advantage in the industry, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effect recovery of ore. Previously considered uneconomic and inaccessible, ore reserves have been made possible through safer, more effective means that not only reduce production costs, but increase production rates of Manroc's customers. ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] How Usain Bolt can run faster -- effortlessly