usu wrote:
Sagarin wrote:Obviously there are outliers, but tall guys tend to be at a disadvantage in cross country, and they generally carry more weight.
Do you have any proof or evidence for any of that?
"At first glance, such thinking does not seem entirely unreasonable. Research has revealed that an individual’s genetic makeup has a significant effect on physical characteristics, including body size and shape. Although there are many exceptions to the rule, the best distance runners tend to be relatively short in stature and light in weight with slim calves, factors that probably have some genetic component. Greater height tends to dampen distance-running performance because of added mass: Bone mass increases exponentially as a function of height, instead of linearly, giving the taller runner relatively more dead weight to move around a 10K or marathon course. In general, enhanced body mass, either in the form of fat or nonpropulsive muscle mass in the upper body, makes endurance runners less economical and less able to sustain high speeds for continuous periods. Scientific studies also have identified many genes that are linked with greater endurance performance."
http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/genes-and-running-performance"The rules of physics say that distance cycling and distance running are for small people. Rowing and swimming are for people who are big. The physics is so exact that when Dr. Secher tried to predict how fast competitive rowers could go, based only on their sizes and the weights of their boats, he was accurate to within 1 percent."
"Distance running is different. Tall people naturally have longer strides, but stride length, it turns out, does not determine speed. Running requires that you lift your body off the ground with each step, propelling yourself forward. The more you weigh, the harder you have to work to lift your body and the slower you will be.
The best runners are small and light, with slim legs. “If you have large legs, you have to move a big load,” Dr. Secher said. “The smaller you are, the better you are.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/health/nutrition/27Best.htmlLook at world cross. Average the top ten heights. I'll bet they are less than 5'9" on average. Of course, taller people are rarer generally, but being 6' isn't so uncommon anymore.