Is It Mathematically Possible to Calculate Human Performance Limits??

Question

I've taken Calculus and Physics, and I know that we can use equations to make calculations and make predictions.

However, I'm wondering if it is actually possible to apply these to human performances.

For example, the 100 m sprint record times have, over the past decades, been constantly broken and new records established.

My question is, where is the limit?

If future athletes are going to keep breaking the time, at some point some type of human limit must be reached, because there is no way someone can run the 100m in 0.00 seconds.

Do we mathematically know where those limits are?

Answer 1

You can use the math to fit the past world records to some type of function and predict what might be the limit - BUT - a new training method might be developed which would allow faster performances, so the historical data before that training method was developed would no longer be a good predictor.

To use the physics as a predictor, you would need to know the maximum force a muscle could output, and be able to develop an accurate enough model of the running to predict performance. Just modeling the wind resistance on a running person would be a huge challenge, even if you were to model the mechanics of the running adequately.

So you could make some predictions about what the limit might be, but you couldn't prove that your predictions were 100% accurate.

Answer 2

The difficulty with answering a question like this, is that, different people have different limits.

To know that limit you would need the ultimate athlete of all time and be able to record his/her times at there top performance.

Failing that, you would need to set yourself up a reference point or mark, to compare result of the athletes to.

Do we mathematically know where those limits are? Where ever the results are I'm sure it would be very complex because there would be many factors to take into consideration such as: Body weight, high, metabolism rate, flexibility of musicales, age and weight of clothes, mental and physical condition and perhaps other factors yet to be identified.

Answer 3

There is an element of behavioral aspect which contributes substantially for the human performance. Hence, it is not just possible to measure the performance limits with the help of Mathematics / even Physics. My point is Mathematical formulas will help to solve the Mathematical problems but not the other issues.