Humans are ranked 28th on the list of the fastest species on the planet, but they can’t run as fast as the cheetah. Why?
The average speed of this cheetah is around 112 km / h, while the record speed reached by “black lightning” Usain Bolt in 2009 is only 44.72 km / h, or about 1/3 of Cheetah’s speed.
The mystery of terrible speed
According to Science ABC, the body of the Jaguar Cheetah has many benefits that facilitate perfect sprints. Specifically, the relatively light leopard body helps vacuums waste a lot of energy when moving and starting. The tapered ribs and the leopard’s small head limit air resistance when running.
The cheetah is also the only species among feline animals that cannot fully retract its claws while running, which helps them increase stability on the ground when moving at high speed.
The flexible leopard tail provides balance, while the spine system is able to navigate quickly and easily. The shoulder bone and the neck bone do not really stick together, helping the legs in particular and the body in general to dilate easily, thus traveling longer distances.
The pins are also very special when they hit the ground at the same time instead of each leg or pair, creating uniform movement.
In 2012, a group of researchers from Yamaguchi University in Japan discovered that Cheetah’s muscular system was much more prominent than a cat or dog, creating a huge push from his hind limbs.
Specifically, type 1 muscle bundles, which generate low but high force, are primarily located in the jaguar’s forelegs. In contrast, Cheetah’s hind legs contain most of the Type II muscle bundles which produce extremely strong forces but have low endurance, suitable only for galloping.
The distribution of these two types of muscles in the two pairs of cheetahs is also the operating principle of many cars today, in which the rear two wheels mainly generate force while the front two are responsible for balance during of deceleration. and navigation.
Why can’t humans run faster than Cheetah?
There are many factors that prevent a person from running fast. First, during the evolution of apes, human arms and legs have grown larger, giving humans balance, especially when standing on two legs, but also limited speed when moving.
The human ankle only allows the foot to move forward but not to move back, thus preventing movement. A human body or head is also larger, so it is affected by air resistance.
One of the main reasons is the muscle structure. Of the total number of human muscles, about 48% are slow-twitch muscles, of which 50% contract quickly and only 2% of muscles contract extremely quickly, while the number of fast-twitch muscles in Cheetah reaches up to 70%.
However, the ratio of numbers between slow and fast muscles is not the same and depends on the individual. This ratio theoretically represents a person’s speed and is very difficult to change.
Of course, regular exercise can help muscles work more flexible and healthier, but it does not significantly increase the amount of muscles that contract quickly.
Therefore, it is almost impossible for humans to “overtake” Cheetah in sprint races.
