 |
Scientific Proof For Superhero Tights
They've all got 'em - Superman, Batman, The Flash, The Green Lantern - the list goes on. They are superheroes - in tights. Now, French researchers deliver the reasons behind the skin tight supersuits.
(The Sultan of Speed, The Scarlet Speedster - The Flash)
Compression tights are marked to distance runners as a way to make their muscles work more effectively, expending less energy per unit work. French researchers have shown that superhero tights permitted 12 male runners to expend less effort than their competitors clad in shorts or low-tech tights.
According to study co-author Dr. Stephane Perrey of University of Montpellier's Motor Efficiency and Deficiency Laboratory, compression tights could delay muscle fatigue and permit runners to burn less energy to reach a given performance level.
Another possible reason for the performance boost may be strategically placed bands of fabric that limit excess muscle motion while running. Reducing this oscillation may be the explanation for the observed increase in running efficiency.
Finally, the tights may help with sending blood back to the heart and lungs.
Perrey stated that even average joggers could see a performance boost from superhero compression tights.
For the ultimate in skin tight clothing, take a look at the Fabrican spray-on clothing; also, we're closer than you think to real supersuits - see Skiers get invulnerable impact suits. Read more about how Compression tights may give runners a lift
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 6/21/2006)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion (Back On) ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Clothing ")
Superomniphobic Fabrics Are Super Clean
'Most gentlemen's and ladies' gloves nowadays were constructed of infinitesimal fabricules that knew how to eject dirt...'- Neal Stephenson, 1995
Sean Jean 'Fashion Video Name Tag' Fleece
Why not a display to go with your sleeve communicator? Murray Leinster would have been down with it.
Body Scanner May Improve Online Shopping
'...the tailor pulled out a number of slotted arms terminating in little discs...'- H.G. Wells, 1899.
Smart Bra From First Warning Systems
'...a delicate current is sent ... to an amplifier and a certain sound is made, and the nurse will properly react...'- David H. Keller, 1928.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Current News
MIT Robot Cheetah Video Shows Gait Transition
'The legs are long, curled way up to deliver power, like a cheetah's.'
TrackingPoint Smart Rifle
Not your typical 'smart bullet' approach.
'Hello, Computer!' Google Now Highlighted at IO13
'Hello, computer!'
Sky City's 220 Stories Are Go
'It rested among green parklands and... stood in total isolation, a glittering block of whites and flashing windows dotted with colors.'
CARMAT Bioprosthetic Total Human Heart Replacement
'George Walt's corporate existence proved the workability of wholly mechanical organs...'
Personal Sniffer Robots
'...The ticking combinations of the olfactory system of the hound.'
Physical Exam? We've Got Apps
See the future of handheld, personal medical devices.
The Interplanetary Internet, Vint Cerf Speaking
'This was the center of Interplanetary Communications.'
Drosophila Robotica, The Mechanical Fly
'... the Scarab [flying robot] buzzed into the great workroom as any intruding insect might...'
Robo-Raven Flapping Wing Robot Bird
'When he had first built them, they had been crude indeed, flying mechanisms with little more than a reflex-response unit.'
Japan's Nursing Home Robot Plan
Let's make the Roujin Z-0001 Robotic Bed!
Samsung Smart TVs With Gesture Control
'He waved his hand and the circuit switched abruptly.'
Swiss HCPVT Giant Photovoltaic 'Flower'
'...leaning against one of the slender stalks of a sunshade-photocell collector.'
Mini-Livers Made By 3D Printer
Organleggers may experience an employment downturn.
Smartphone Sensor System Tracks Gunfire
'Sound trackers on the roof could zero in on weapons action...'
Bacteria Now Make Biofuel Like Oil
'They have ... germs that eat pretty near anything, and produce oil as a waste product.'
