Relative Strength Empowerment
April 10, 2011
Every 20% increase in height is a 73% increase in weight, yet muscles only become 44% stronger ( that’s about the equivalent to increase in surface area), and bones less than that. There is a clear limit to the amount of surplus strength tall people generate because at some point the extra muscles gained with exercise will only be concerned with supporting the extra weight. That’s why unusually tall people often have difficulty walking. A report on the relationship between the height of weightlifting champions and weight lifted showed that it becomes almost impossible to increase absolute strength beyond a height of 183 cm since it is difficult to increase contractile muscle tissue to do the extra lifting. Relative strength however is much greater in smaller people. A 20% decrease in height results in a 44% decrease in average strength yet it creates a surplus in power since at the same time weight decreases with 73%. Compared to their height, small people jump higher, run faster and enjoy better protection against injury.
Just imagine the spectacular things we’ll be able to do in sports, dance, work and the performing arts if we are to become 50 centimeters.
[…] we shrink to 50cm we will still weigh 2 kg’s but because of our radically increased relative strength we’d feel stronger and the strain on our limbs would be next to nothing. In the brilliant On […]
[…] than others. Most small mammals have an agility and quickness that seems related to greater relative strength and the elegance of Haldanian simplicity. Will we experience what Heinrich von Kleist in his On the […]
[…] behind desks And although tall man may have a little extra absolute strength to boost about, their relative strength is considerably less. As a consequence they experience more back problems, bad knees, and are more […]