Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger? | David Epstein
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN links it in threads about athlete body types, sports technology and record-breaking as a relevant, counter-intuitive explanation.
What it is
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.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 3 different months, 2014 to 2020.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec nichochar · 2014-06 · on “NFL players: height and weight over time ”
Fasinating, reminds me of a great TED talk about this: "Are athletes really getting bigger, faster, stronger?" [this video] tl;dr: no
Recommends code_sloth · 2019-11 · on “I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike”
Professional sports today are the more result of artificial selection of people that have specialized bodies for their sport. Relevant TED talk: [this video]
Recommends aledalgrande · 2020-02 · on “How the Nike Vaporfly War Was Lost”
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]