Atheltics Weekly

@athleticsweekly
T-REX WAS IN
IT FOR THE
LONG RUN
ANYONE who remembers seeing the film Jurassic
Park would be forgiven for thinking the Tyrannosaurus
Rex, one of the largest land predators ever to have
lived, was a sprinter who chased down its prey at
high speed. However, researchers at the University
of Manchester have proven the T-Rex was anything
but a pursuit predator as the dinosaur could not have
broken into a run without its leg bones shattering.
Publishing findings in the journal PeerJ, the
scientists described how they created a detailed
anatomical computer model of the seven-ton
dinosaur and then calculated the various loads on
its skeleton when it moved at different speeds and
with a changing gait. Professor William Sellers from
the university’s school of earth and environmental
science said that “the running ability of T-Rex and
other similarly giant dinosaurs has been intensely
debated” for centuries. “Here we present a new
approach that combines two separate biomechanical
techniques to demonstrate that true running gaits
would probably lead to unacceptably high skeletal
loads in T.-Rex,” Sellars says.
It’s more likely the T-Rex killed its prey by
engaging in long, slow distance races with other
less athletic dinosaurs, he concluded.
Running gait of dinosaurs studied
WHAT’S NEW? WHAT’S NEW?
ADIDAS ULTRABOOST
LACELESS
What: The first laceless,
high-performance
running shoe from adidas
Why: Laces on running
shoes can, apparently,
leave you “tied down or
restrained” according
to the creators of this
latest incarnation of
the hugely popular
UltraBoost range. Like
the previous shoes
in the range, these
feature the
same energyreturning
sole,
but feature a
reduced
Who needs
laces? The
latest shoes
do without
amount of stretch in the knitted upper while, finally, Adidas claims the
lower level of stretch in the Primeknit fabric enhances stability and ensures
maximum support ensure maximum support for the foot. There’s a “forged
Primeknit band” around the midfoot to make sure the feet stay in place.
They are lightweight and comfortable, but better suited to warm-ups or
short runs than as a performance shoe.
Where: £149.95 from adidas.co.uk/ultraboost
WEIGHT TRAINING IMPAIRS ENDURANCE DEVELOPMENT
FAILURE to schedule sufficient
recovery following an intense
weight training session could
impact endurance development
of athletes.
That was the conclusion of
sports scientists at James Cook
University in Queensland who
are now warning that fatigue
from weight training can carry
over to endurance training
and the two activities must be
better coordinated to maximise
performance.
Dr Kenji Dorma, a researcher in
the College of Healthcare Sciences,
and his team were examining
the implications of concurrent
training – ie a programme that
includes resistance and endurance
training on the same or separate
days. Reporting in the journal
Sports Medicine, Dorma said a
review of evidence suggested a
reduced performance by runners
even several days after a single
resistance training session. “The
consensus is that concurrent
training is beneficial for endurance
development,” said Dorma. “But
we found if appropriate recovery is
not accounted for between each
training mode, then it may impair
endurance development.”
The scientists were not
suggesting an avoidance of
concurrent training, just a greater
awareness of its potential effects.
“There are great benefits to it, but
there can be some hidden dangers
too,” said Dorma. “What we want
to see is fatigue from resistance
sessions minimised so there can
be even more benefits gained.”
Recovery times are entirely
dependent on an individual, the
mode and their point in a training
cycle, he added.
A T H L E T I C S W E E K L Y 5 9