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LONDON — Scientists say they can explain Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s extraordinary speed with a mathematical model.
His 100m time of 9.58 seconds during the 2009 World Championships in Berlin is the current world record. They say their model explains the power and energy he had to expend to overcome drag caused by air resistance, made stronger by his frame of 6ft 5in.
Writing in the European Journal of Physics, the team hope to discover what makes extraordinary athletes so fast.
According to the mathematical model proposed, Bolt’s time of 9.58 seconds in Berlin was achieved by reaching a speed of 12.2 metres per second, equivalent to about 27mph.
Less dynamic
The team calculated that Bolt’s maximum power occurred when he was less than one second into the race and was only at half his maximum speed. This demonstrates the near immediate effect of drag, which is where air resistance slows moving objects.
They also discovered less than 8% of the energy his muscles produced was used for motion, with the rest absorbed by drag.
When comparing Bolt’s body mass, the altitude of the track and the air temperature, they found out that his drag coefficient — which is a measure of the drag per unit area of mass — was actually less aerodynamic than that of the average man.
Effects of drag
Jorge Hernandez of the the National Autonomous University of Mexico said: “Our calculated drag co-efficient highlights the outstanding ability of Bolt. He has been able to break several records despite not being as aerodynamic as a human can be.
“The enormous amount of work that Bolt developed in 2009, and the amount that was absorbed by drag, is truly extraordinary. — BBC Sport.
Online Reporter