Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?
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Started by metmike - Nov. 24, 2018, 5:26 p.m.


When you look at sporting achievements over the last decades, it seems like humans have gotten faster, better and stronger in nearly every way. Yet as David Epstein points out in this delightfully counter-intuitive talk, we might want to lay off the self-congratulation. Many factors are at play in shattering athletic records, and the development of our natural talents is just one of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8COaMKbNrX0

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By mcfarm - Nov. 25, 2018, 8:02 a.m.
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no doubt athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster. Better training, better diet, better environment and humans in general are much larger these days. Purdue has an 18 year old freshman who can lift 600 pounds and he is only 5' 8" so some are just faster and stronger but most are taller as well. If Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle had trained and watched their diet like nowadays they would of set more records but todays sports figures are beasts

By carlberky - Nov. 25, 2018, 8:31 a.m.
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Before watching the vidio, it was obvious that technology would play a significant part in the improvement.

One factor not addressed in the talk was the role played by knowing what time or distance is needed for a new record.

 

By metmike - Nov. 25, 2018, 11:20 a.m.
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I agree with both you guys.

I think this guy overlooked alot of things, focusing on technology but had some great points on that end of it.