Do Amputations Ever Give An Athletic Advantage Or Performance Edge?

There is at least one instance where a prosthetic limb winds up giving the amputee an edge. This is Pistorius, additionally known as the «Blade Runner.»

lost his legs at 10 months old, however still ran under 11 seconds in the 100m, under 22 secs in the 200m as well as 46 seconds in the 400m.

You could be asking yourself exactly how this is also possible. How can he be much faster than someone with legs.

His replacement legs were in fact a benefit!

» Any type of technological gadget that incorporates springs, wheels or any kind of other component that supplies a user with a benefit over an additional professional athlete not making use of such a tool.»

IAAF Amendment, 26, 2007

This choice was clearly particularly aimed at a climbing Pistorius, as well as thus the IAAF responded that the amendment was not guided at him.

Human legs successfully function like springs, the Achilles tendons— to name a few— saving and releasing energy, stride by stride, optimizing power return from the ground.

Blades just do this much more successfully than an actual human leg.

«Pistorius’s limbs made use of 25% less energy than runners with total natural legs going for the exact same speed, and that they brought about less upright movement combined with 30% much less mechanical benefit raising the body.»