Open AccessAre There Limits to Running World Records?
Author(s) -
Alan M. Nevill,
Gregory Whyte
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
medicine and science in sports and exercise
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.703
H-Index - 224
eISSN - 1530-0315
pISSN - 0195-9131
DOI - 10.1249/01.mss.0000181676.62054.79
Subject(s) - historical record , variance (accounting) , acceleration , logistic function , logistic regression , statistics , mathematics , limit (mathematics) , demography , geography , econometrics , history , economics , mathematical analysis , sociology , physics , accounting , classical mechanics , memoir , art history
Previous researchers have adopted linear models to predict athletic running world records, based on records recorded throughout the 20th century. These linear models imply that there is no limit to human performance and that, based on projected estimates, women will eventually run faster than men. The purpose of this article is to assess whether a more biologically sound, flattened "S-shaped" curve could provide a better and more interpretable fit to the data, suggesting that running world records could reach their asymptotic limits some time in the future.