From Oxford to Hawaii: Ecophysiological Barriers Limit Human Progression in Ten Sport Monuments
2008

Ecophysiological Barriers Limit Human Progression in Ten Sport Monuments

Sample size: 10 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): François-Denis Desgorces, Geoffroy Berthelot, Nour El Helou, Valérie Thibault, Marion Guillaume, Muriel Tafflet, Olivier Hermine, Jean-François Toussaint

Primary Institution: IRMES, Institut de Recherche Médicale et d'Epidémiologie du Sport, INSEP, Paris, France

Hypothesis

Performance evolution of outdoor sports events would also follow a piecewise exponential decaying pattern.

Conclusion

The study suggests that human performance in outdoor sports tends to reach asymptotic limits influenced by physiological and environmental factors.

Supporting Evidence

  • The model fits progression periods with high accuracy (r2=0.95±0.07).
  • Older events show a rapid improvement in early phases.
  • Predictions suggest that performance limits may be reached by 2049.

Takeaway

This study looks at how human performance in sports has changed over time and predicts that we might reach our limits in the next few decades.

Methodology

Analyzed best performances of ten outdoor sports events using a piecewise exponential decaying model.

Limitations

The study may not account for all environmental factors affecting performance.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

2049±32 years

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0003653

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