In the Zone uncovers the physiology and sports engineering that make an Olympic & Paralympic athlete a champion.
In this one hour live stage show, Science Junkie & BBC Science Presenter Greg Foot will explore how Usain Bolt can unleash the explosive energy he needs to run 100m in a superhuman 9.58s, how GB’s Mo Farah trained to find the extra 1% he needed to grab the 5,000 metre world championship, and how Paula Radcliffe’s muscles are perfectly suited to marathon running.
With a raft of sensors attached to a bike & rowing machine you’ll see – live – just what happens inside your body as you exercise. You’ll discover what’s going on as you start to sweat, struggle to get enough oxygen into your muscles and fight the painful build up of lactate to cross the finish line.
Then, joined by Professor Steve Haake - whose work with the GB Cycling Team helped them get gold at Beijing - we’ll fire up our own wind tunnel to see how sports engineers give Chris Hoy the edge over his fellow cyclists, discuss why high-tech swim-suits have been banned for London 2012, and look at the incredible technology behind Oscar Pistorius' 'Cheetahs'.
Developed with the Royal Institution, this new show is part of The Wellcome Trust’s ‘In the Zone’ project (http://www.getinthezone.org.uk) - a major initiative linked to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The initiative has been awarded the Inspire Mark from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).
