What's with people storing gels midway down their leg in half tights?

obvious answer here wrote:

What kind of gels are you using? Never seen any that are that heavy where this would make any difference.

Adoi wrote:

I've noticed a recent trend of people wearing half tights, and storing their gels on the outside of their thigh - just above the knee.

Surely this is an incredibly inefficient way to store gels. You are essentially placing weight at the midpoint of a lever.

Your legs are the main moving part - the things generating the force necessary to travel forward, and so obstructing them by adding unnecessary weight - as you pull your knee through - seems really stupid.

It's not just hobby joggers doing this either. One of the lead guys in the Manchester Marathon employed this strategy.

Thoughts?

Adoi wrote:

obvious answer here wrote:

What kind of gels are you using? Never seen any that are that heavy where this would make any difference.

How much difference does 2 ounces make in a pair of shoes?

Now, I know that the energy expenditure won't be as prononunced midway along a lever (just above the knee) as opposed to at the end of it (the foot); but if you store 3 gels in each side (each weighing 2 ounces), then it adds up.

You're effectively doing tens of thousands of knee pull repetitions with an added 150 grams of weight each time.

Adoi wrote:

obvious answer here wrote:

What kind of gels are you using? Never seen any that are that heavy where this would make any difference.

How much difference does 2 ounces make in a pair of shoes?

Now, I know that the energy expenditure won't be as prononunced midway along a lever (just above the knee) as opposed to at the end of it (the foot); but if you store 3 gels in each side (each weighing 2 ounces), then it adds up.

You're effectively doing tens of thousands of knee pull repetitions with an added 150 grams of weight each time.