Science questions not worth a thread I: I'm a moron!

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This is a sprinting question. When you are sprinting you can only keep up that maximium intensity and speed for a short, fast burst only in the 10s of metres. Now if we push ourselves to the maximium limit and try to maintain the maximium potential intensity of your body constantly - when would the body stop? In fact, would it? Discounting the mental and physical factors of pain and discomfort - surely you can go quite a while before something stops you? I know if you overrun you start throwing up - i'm talking beyond that level! What does your body do too to stop you?
 
This is a sprinting question. When you are sprinting you can only keep up that maximium intensity and speed for a short, fast burst only in the 10s of metres. Now if we push ourselves to the maximium limit and try to maintain the maximium potential intensity of your body constantly - when would the body stop? In fact, would it? Discounting the mental and physical factors of pain and discomfort - surely you can go quite a while before something stops you? I know if you overrun you start throwing up - i'm talking beyond that level! What does your body do too to stop you?

Muscle activity stops. In other words, calcium stops flowing in your myofibrils, meaning that the actin can no longer bind to the myosin...in short, the muscles lose their ability to pull. Just as individual muscle fibers can only pull for so long (you can only "flex" for a short period of time) muscles will stop working if overused. The maximum limit of the body is when individual organs shut down, rather than your body shutting down in unison.
 
I've been looking into creating a magnetic generator using neodymium permanent magnets, and have been getting many sites claiming that they work, other saying that they're impossible, and some youtube videos that seem to work.

A quick read of Wikipedia finds that they are common components in electronics and used in the regenerative brakes in hybrid automobiles use neodymium magnets.
If a "perpetual motion" machine was possible, they'd use it in hybrid vehicles to decrease the gas consumption to near zero. But what they are is very efficient magnets per mass.


@Quackers, I think the metabolic issues are actually in the central nervous system as the brain signals it needs oxygen across the the blood-brain barrier (which depends upon aerobic activity from what I've read) and glucose (which there is competition for between the muscles and brain once the stored carbohydrate in the muscle is exhausted).
 
@Quackers, I think the metabolic issues are actually in the central nervous system as the brain signals it needs oxygen across the the blood-brain barrier (which depends upon aerobic activity from what I've read) and glucose (which there is competition for between the muscles and brain once the stored carbohydrate in the muscle is exhausted).

I think the muscles will fail before the brain does.
 
Let's get physical, physical
I wanna get physical
Let's get into physical
Let me hear your body talk, your body talk
Let me hear your body talk
 
So if we got Usain Bolt and studded him out to the fastest woman (whoever won the 100m, i forgot who it was) how likely is it we would get a world record 100m breaker in either sexes?
 
So if we got Usain Bolt and studded him out to the fastest woman (whoever won the 100m, i forgot who it was) how likely is it we would get a world record 100m breaker in either sexes?

Nurture matters too. :p A reasonable chance if other conditions are met. But no guarantees.
 
So if we got Usain Bolt and studded him out to the fastest woman (whoever won the 100m, i forgot who it was) how likely is it we would get a world record 100m breaker in either sexes?

Given the stories of life in the Olympic village, you may not have to wait too long to find out. And I'd guess that Usain's not traveling to badly when it comes to wooing the ladies.
 
Given the stories of life in the Olympic village, you may not have to wait too long to find out. And I'd guess that Usain's not traveling to badly when it comes to wooing the ladies.

Judging by tweeted pictures, we'll have three really, really fast Swedish-Jamaican handball players in nine months.
 
So if we got Usain Bolt and studded him out to the fastest woman (whoever won the 100m, i forgot who it was) how likely is it we would get a world record 100m breaker in either sexes?

The genes relating to the energy centres of cells (mitochondria) are inherited from the mother, if I recall correctly.
 
The genes relating to the energy centres of cells (mitochondria) are inherited from the mother, if I recall correctly.

I don't think the mitochondria enhance speed. There's nothing special about Usain Bolt's ability to convert glucose into ATP.
 
I don't think the mitochondria enhance speed. There's nothing special about Usain Bolt's ability to convert glucose into ATP.

Isn't running more about lactic acid buildup and muscle retraction speed?

Not even sure if those are the right words - I stopped running 20 years ago :blush:
 
I don't think lactic acid will matter in a short sprint. It's only 100m.
Its about the your muscle fibres. Some people have more "fast twitch muscles" then others, particularly if your of west african extraction.
 
I don't think lactic acid will matter in a short sprint. It's only 100m.
Its about the your muscle fibres. Some people have more "fast twitch muscles" then others, particularly if your of west african extraction.

Yeah, I agree. And these fast-twitch muscles a due to African genes, which are (obviously) passed down through generations. So there is a high probably that two African-Olympians produce offspring that will inherit both of their "twitch" genes. Meaning that the kid will also be lightning fast.
 
..and thats where my original question comes in. Whats the probability of that happening? Would it take 10 random babies before we get 1 that has Olympic speed? Or will all of them have it?
 
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