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Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger? | David Epstein

TED · 7.1M views · 2014-04-29 · 14:54

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Overview

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.

On Hacker News

HN links it in threads about athlete body types, sports technology and record-breaking as a relevant, counter-intuitive explanation.

Recommended by 3 HN people across 3 months · HN mentions 2014–2020

Topics

Sports & athleticsEvolution & genetics
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athletic performancegeneticsted talktechnology in sportbody selection

What people said

nichochar · 2014-06 · Strong recommendation

Fasinating, reminds me of a great TED talk about this: "Are athletes really getting bigger, faster, stronger?" [VIDEO] tl;dr: no

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aledalgrande · 2020-02 · Recommendation

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: [VIDEO]

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code_sloth · 2019-11 · Recommendation

Professional sports today are the more result of artificial selection of people that have specialized bodies for their sport. Relevant TED talk: [VIDEO]

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Sources

Video by TED, played through YouTube.

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