The only difference between running on a good treadmill and running on the road is air resistance. It astounds me how many people can conceptualize a simple physics problem.
The only difference between running on a good treadmill and running on the road is air resistance. It astounds me how many people can conceptualize a simple physics problem.
can't*
I'm about as far from a physics expert as there is, so hopefully you can help me out. If I stand on one foot on a treadmill and turn it on, I get credit for covering distance until I fall off the treadmill. From your post, I'm assuming it doesn't matter, but I've always thought there was some benefit from the fact the belt is moving when your foot strikes the ground whereas the ground outside isn't, sort of like how a moving sidewalk in an airport allows you to walk faster with the same stride rate as the guy next to you walking on the carpet, but maybe I'm wrong about that too?
Time in the air is what matters on a treadmill. That's very different from distance covered.
googlymoogly wrote:
I'm about as far from a physics expert as there is, so hopefully you can help me out. If I stand on one foot on a treadmill and turn it on, I get credit for covering distance until I fall off the treadmill. From your post, I'm assuming it doesn't matter, but I've always thought there was some benefit from the fact the belt is moving when your foot strikes the ground whereas the ground outside isn't, sort of like how a moving sidewalk in an airport allows you to walk faster with the same stride rate as the guy next to you walking on the carpet, but maybe I'm wrong about that too?
Dude I've always wondered about that too. So whenever someone says they ran something on a treadmill I just say it doesn't count.
googlymoogly wrote:
I'm about as far from a physics expert as there is, so hopefully you can help me out. If I stand on one foot on a treadmill and turn it on, I get credit for covering distance until I fall off the treadmill. From your post, I'm assuming it doesn't matter, but I've always thought there was some benefit from the fact the belt is moving when your foot strikes the ground whereas the ground outside isn't, sort of like how a moving sidewalk in an airport allows you to walk faster with the same stride rate as the guy next to you walking on the carpet, but maybe I'm wrong about that too?
How is the ground not moving beneath you while you're running?
your an idiot wrote:
Time in the air is what matters on a treadmill. That's very different from distance covered.
Time in the air is directly related to distance covered. Same on the road
aubz wrote:
googlymoogly wrote:I'm about as far from a physics expert as there is, so hopefully you can help me out. If I stand on one foot on a treadmill and turn it on, I get credit for covering distance until I fall off the treadmill. From your post, I'm assuming it doesn't matter, but I've always thought there was some benefit from the fact the belt is moving when your foot strikes the ground whereas the ground outside isn't, sort of like how a moving sidewalk in an airport allows you to walk faster with the same stride rate as the guy next to you walking on the carpet, but maybe I'm wrong about that too?
How is the ground not moving beneath you while you're running?
+1. While your foot is on the treadmill, you are being pulled backwards at the rate you are running. While you are in the air, the treadmill is moving at that same rate. Just as it is when you are running outside.
googlymoogly wrote:
I'm about as far from a physics expert as there is, so hopefully you can help me out. If I stand on one foot on a treadmill and turn it on, I get credit for covering distance until I fall off the treadmill. From your post, I'm assuming it doesn't matter, but I've always thought there was some benefit from the fact the belt is moving when your foot strikes the ground whereas the ground outside isn't, sort of like how a moving sidewalk in an airport allows you to walk faster with the same stride rate as the guy next to you walking on the carpet, but maybe I'm wrong about that too?
I'm talking about running at a steady pace, but given your example, think about this. Say you ride the treadmill to the end of the belt, then jump ~6 feet up to the front. Do you think that's different than jumping 6 feet on flat ground?
googlymoogly wrote:
I'm about as far from a physics expert as there is, so hopefully you can help me out. If I stand on one foot on a treadmill and turn it on, I get credit for covering distance until I fall off the treadmill. From your post, I'm assuming it doesn't matter, but I've always thought there was some benefit from the fact the belt is moving when your foot strikes the ground whereas the ground outside isn't, sort of like how a moving sidewalk in an airport allows you to walk faster with the same stride rate as the guy next to you walking on the carpet, but maybe I'm wrong about that too?
Yes you are wrong about both situations (unless you and the carpet guy have the same stride length). I don't see why you'd think the situations are anything alike. In one, the ground is going with you. In the other, the ground is going against you.
At every clinic I've gone to the world class sprint coaches (not as knowledgeable as you letsrun posters) have advocated against running on a treadmill.
coach wrote:
At every clinic I've gone to the world class sprint coaches (not as knowledgeable as you letsrun posters) have advocated against running on a treadmill.
Probably because you can't sprint on a treadmill.
physics wrote:
coach wrote:At every clinic I've gone to the world class sprint coaches (not as knowledgeable as you letsrun posters) have advocated against running on a treadmill.
Probably because you can't sprint on a treadmill.
Well, technically you can, butt...
Usain Bolt on a treadmill
But according a physicist friend of mine if you run on a treadmill then you do no work since you have not displaced yourself.
There is clearly less toe-off required on a treadmill than on the roads. I had a double cheilectomy and treadmill running is about half as painful as running on the roads. I can run significantly faster and get my HR higher on the mill. Mill also makes heel strikers faster than they should be.
coach wrote:
At every clinic I've gone to the world class sprint coaches (not as knowledgeable as you letsrun posters) have advocated against running on a treadmill.
On the other hand, there's plenty of footage of elites running on treadmills.
I would imagine treadmills are bad for sprinting because they don't accelerate very well, which isn't an issue for distance running.
Off topic, but..... speaking of treadmills, anyone ever see walkers at the gym set the incline to the highest grade, and rather than lean into the incline as you would walking up an actual hill, they hold onto the handles and lean back, creating a 90 degree angle with their body and the ramp. What is that?
What's amazing is how the brojos have it going on with the advertising on this site now. Click on a thread about treadmills and treadmill advertisments pop up at the bottom of the page. Impressive.
2/10
For soliciting so many responses to your nonsense.
1. Nobody is suggesting mills are the absolute equal of running on the ground. They are a good alternative however when prevented from running outside for whatever reason.
2.Air resistance? Really? Gong