We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
The Citius End: World Records Progression Announces the Completion of a Brief Ultra-Physiological Quest.
- Authors
Berthelot, Geoffroy; Thibault, Valérie; Tafflet, Muriel; Escolano, Sylvie; El Helou, Nour; Jouven, Xavier; Hermine, Olivier; Toussaint, Jean-François
- Abstract
World records (WR) in sports illustrate the ultimate expression of human integrated muscle biology, through speed or strength performances. Analysis and prediction of man's physiological boundaries in sports and impact of external (historical or environmental) conditions on WR occurrence are subject to scientific controversy. Based on the analysis of 3263 WR established for all quantifiable official contests since the first Olympic Games, we show here that WR progression rate follows a piecewise exponential decaying pattern with very high accuracy (mean adjusted r2 values = 0.91±0.08 (s.d.)). Starting at 75% of their estimated asymptotic values in 1896, WR have now reached 99%, and, present conditions prevailing, half of all WR will not be improved by more than 0,05% in 2027. Our model, which may be used to compare future athletic performances or assess the impact of international antidoping policies, forecasts that human species' physiological frontiers will be reached in one generation. This will have an impact on the future
- Subjects
WORLD records; SPORTS events; OLYMPIC Games; MUSCLE physiology; SPORTS injuries; SPORTS physiology; DOPING in sports; GOVERNMENT policy; DIAGNOSIS
- Publication
PLoS ONE, 2008, Vol 3, Issue 2, p1
- ISSN
1932-6203
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0001552