Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger? | David Epstein
TED3 HN recommenders · recommended in 3 months, 2014–2020
talk · general · evergreen · 2014–2020 on HN
David Epstein argues in this TED talk that improving athletic records owe much to technology, training and the selection of specialized body types, not just humans getting inherently better. He gives counter-intuitive examples across sports.
HN links it in threads about athlete body types, sports technology and record-breaking as a relevant, counter-intuitive explanation.
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3 comments from Hacker News
Fasinating, reminds me of a great TED talk about this: "Are athletes really getting bigger, faster, stronger?" ▶ this video tl;dr: no
I can attest that running on a thick plated pair of shoes like the Zoom Fly SP I had is exhilarating, especially after training in other "normal" shoes. I see how the competition should measure athleticism and not a sponsor/athlete unit, but all recent records have been broken because of technology, let's be honest. I suggest you watch this TEDx for reference: ▶ this video
Professional sports today are the more result of artificial selection of people that have specialized bodies for their sport. Relevant TED talk: ▶ this video