Track & Field (Athletics)
Sports > Athletics > Biomechanics
Track & Field Physics
Lane Selection
The inside lane, lane one, is the dread of all 200m and 400m runners. It is considered a disadvantage as the turns are very tight. Compared to running down the straight, curve running requires a change in stride and expending more energy.
Runners must adjust their stride as they enter the curve to resist the tendency to keep going straight. This is done by leaning in towards the curve and pushing outwards on the track with their legs, effectively shifting their center of gravity towards the center of the track.
The tighter the curve, the more leaning is required, and the more energy that is spent adjusting the body, leaving less energy to direct towards going faster.
One study by American physicists calculated that an athlete who runs 19.72 sec in lane one, is equivalent of a time of 19.60 sec in lane eight. This difference could be quite significant and may mean the difference between winning and being out of a place.
High Jump
Did you Know?A 5000m runner uses 9% of their total energy expenditure during a race simply in overcoming air resistence. A 100m sprinter uses 20%. |
One of the most significant innovations in athletics the introduction of the "Fosbury Flop" by Dick Fosbury in 1968. He pioneered a radical new technique in high jumping. Prior to 1968, high jumpers traditionally cleared the bar by running, jumping and while remaining head up throwing over one leg and then another (straddle style).Fosbury twisted his body so that he went over head first with his back next to the bar.
With any projectile, which includes humans jumping, after takeoff the center of mass will follow a set path (ignoring aerodynamic forces). This old straddle technique meant that the center of mass must go over the top of the bar. The Fosbury Flop technique worked so well because he could arch his body so that his center of mass was outside his body and passed under the bar. This way a grater height can be cleared.
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