Secret of agility unveiled
WASHINGTON - The Associated Press
Research shows cheetahs have four times the crucial kick power of a person.
Scientists have long known that cheetahs are blazingly fast. Now new research shows it is their acceleration and nimble zigzagging that really leaves the rest of the animal world in the dust.Researchers determined cheetahs can run twice as fast as Olympian Usain Bolt on a straight-away. Then they measured the energy a cheetah muscle produces compared to body size and calculated the same for Bolt, the sprinter. They found the cheetah had four times the crucial kick power of the Olympian.
Lead study author Alan Wilson of the University of London and others studied cheetahs using specialized tracking collars. The study appeared online in the journal Nature.
