ABOUT THE SPEAKER
David Epstein - Sports science reporter
David Epstein is an investigative reporter who covers the wide-open space where sports, science and medicine overlap.

Why you should listen
David Epstein writes about the developing science around sport -- from performance-enhancing drugs to the lucky genetics that separate a professional athlete from a duffer. A science writer and longtime contributor to Sports Illustrated, he's helped break stories on steroids in baseball, fraudulently marketed health remedies, and big-money irregularities in "amateur" college football. In 2007, inspired by the death of a childhood friend, he wrote a moving exploration of the most common cause of sudden death in young athletes, a hard-to-diagnose heart irregularity known as HCM.
 
Now an investigative reporter at ProPublica, Epstein is the author of The Sports Gene, a book that explores the complex factors that make up a championship athlete. Is there such a thing as natural greatness, or can even extreme skills -- like the freaky-fast reaction of a hockey great -- be learned? Conversely, is the desire and will to master extreme skills something you're born with?
More profile about the speaker
David Epstein | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

David Epstein: Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?

David Epstein: A jane duke u bere atletet me te shpejte, me te mire, me te forte?

Filmed:
8,652,776 views

Kur ju shikoni në arritjet sportive gjatë dekadave të fundit, duket sikur njerëzit jane bere më të shpejtë, më të mirë dhe më të fortë në pothuajse çdo mënyrë. Megjithatë, si David Epstein thekson në këtë bisedë delightfully kundër-intuitive, ne mund të dëshironi të lë të qetë vetë-urim. Shumë faktorë janë në lojë në shkatërrimtar të dhënat atletike, dhe zhvillimin e talenteve tona natyrore është vetëm një prej tyre
- Sports science reporter
David Epstein is an investigative reporter who covers the wide-open space where sports, science and medicine overlap. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
The Olympic motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius."
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Moto e lojerave Olimpike eshte "Citius, Altius, Fortius"
00:16
Faster, Higher, Stronger.
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Me shpejte, me larte, me forte.
00:19
And athletes have fulfilled that motto rapidly.
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Dhe atletet kane permbushur ate moto shume shpejt
00:22
The winner of the 2012 Olympic marathon
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Fituesi i maratones Oplimpike te 2012
00:26
ran two hours and eight minutes.
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vrapoi dy ore e tete minuta.
00:28
Had he been racing against the winner
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Ne do ishte duke garuar kunder fituesit
00:30
of the 1904 Olympic marathon,
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te maratones Olimpike te vitit 1904,
00:32
he would have won by nearly an hour and a half.
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ai do te kishte fituar me afer nje ore e gjysme.
00:35
Now we all have this feeling
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Tani te gjithe ne e kemi kete ndjenje
00:37
that we're somehow just getting better
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se jemi duke u bere me te mire
00:39
as a human race, inexorably progressing,
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si qenie njerzore, duke perparuar ne menyre te pandalshme
00:41
but it's not like we've evolved into a new species
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por nuk eshte se kemi evoluar ne qenie te reja
00:43
in a century.
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brenda nje shekulli.
00:45
So what's going on here?
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Pra, cka po ndodh ketu?
00:47
I want to take a look at what's really behind
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Dua te shikoj se c'fshihet pertej ketij
00:49
this march of athletic progress.
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marshimi te zhvillimit te atletikes.
00:51
In 1936, Jesse Owens
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Ne 1936, Jesse Owens
00:54
held the world record in the 100 meters.
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mbajti rekordin botëror në 100 metra.
00:56
Had Jesse Owens been racing last year
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Nese do merrte pjese ne kampionatin boteror vitin e kaluar 100 metersh
00:59
in the world championships of the 100 meters,
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ne garen e 100 metershit,
01:01
when Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt finished,
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kur sprinteri xhamaikan Usain Bolt e perfundoi,
01:04
Owens would have still had 14 feet to go.
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Owrns kishte akoma 14 hapa per te vrapuar.
01:07
That's a lot in sprinter land.
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Kjo do te thote shume per sprint.
01:09
To give you a sense of how much it is,
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Per t'ju treguar se sa shume eshte,
01:10
I want to share with you a demonstration
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une dua te ndaj me ju nje demonstrim
01:12
conceived by sports scientist Ross Tucker.
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te konceptuar nga sportisti Ross Tucker.
01:15
Now picture the stadium last year
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Tani, imagjinoni stadiumin vitin qe kaloi
01:18
at the world championships of the 100 meters:
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ne kampionation boteror te 100 metershit:
01:20
thousands of fans waiting with baited breath
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mijera fansa duke pritur
01:22
to see Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history;
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per te pare Usain Bolt, njeriun me te shpejte ne histori;
01:26
flashbulbs popping as the
nine fastest men in the world
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nente burrat me te shpejte ne bote
01:29
coil themselves into their blocks.
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rrotullohen ne blloqet e tyre.
01:31
And I want you to pretend
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Dua qe te pretendoni
01:32
that Jesse Owens is in that race.
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se Jesse Owens eshte ne ate gare.
01:35
Now close your eyes for a
second and picture the race.
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Tani mbyllni syte per disa sekonda dhe paraperfytyroni garen.
01:38
Bang! The gun goes off.
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Krisme! Arma shkrepet.
01:40
An American sprinter jumps out to the front.
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Nje sprinter Amerikan kercen ne fillim.
01:42
Usain Bolt starts to catch him.
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Usian Bolt fillon qe ta arrije ate.
01:44
Usain Bolt passes him, and as
the runners come to the finish,
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Usain Bolt e kalon ate, dhe ndersa vrapuesit mbrrijne te fundi,
01:45
you'll hear a beep as each man crosses the line.
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ju do te degjoni nje bip ku secili garues kalon nje pjese.
01:48
(Beeps)
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(Bip)
01:50
That's the entire finish of the race.
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Kjo eshte pjesa e plote e gares.
01:53
You can open your eyes now.
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Mund te hapni syte tani.
01:54
That first beep was Usain Bolt.
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Bip i pare ishte Usain Bolt.
01:57
That last beep was Jesse Owens.
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Bip i fundit ishte Jesse Owens.
01:59
Listen to it again.
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Degjoni perseri ate.
02:01
(Beeps)
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(Bip)
02:03
When you think of it like that,
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Tek e mendoni keshtu,
02:04
it's not that big a difference, is it?
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nuk eshte ndonje diference e madhe, apo jo?
02:06
And then consider that Usain Bolt started
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Dhe duke pasur ne konsiderate se Usain Bolt fillon
02:08
by propelling himself out of blocks
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duke vene ne levzije veten e tij
02:11
down a specially fabricated carpet
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poshte nje qilimi posacerisht te fabikuar
02:13
designed to allow him to travel
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i dizejnuar per te lejuar ate te vrapoj
02:15
as fast as humanly possible.
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aq shpejt sa njerezisht eshte e mundur.
02:17
Jesse Owens, on the other hand,
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Jesse Owens ne anen tjeter,
02:19
ran on cinders, the ash from burnt wood,
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vrapon ne shkrumbë, hi nga druri i djegur,
02:22
and that soft surface stole far more energy
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dhe ajo siperfaqe e bute i shpenzon shume me shume energji
02:25
from his legs as he ran.
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kemebeve te tij ndersa vraponte.
02:26
Rather than blocks, Jesse
Owens had a gardening trowel
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Pervec blloqeve, Jesse Owens kish nje peshqir kopeshti
02:29
that he had to use to dig holes
in the cinders to start from.
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qe iu desh ta perdorte per te germuar gropa ne menyre qe te niste.
02:33
Biomechanical analysis of the speed
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Analizat biomekanike te shpejtesise
02:35
of Owens' joints shows that had been running
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se nyjeve te Owens tregojne se nese do kish qene duke vrapuar
02:38
on the same surface as Bolt,
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ne te njejten siperfaqe sikurse Bolt,
02:39
he wouldn't have been 14 feet behind,
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ai nuk do të kishte qenë 14 metra prapa,
02:42
he would have been within one stride.
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ai do te kishte qene brenda te njejtes vije.
02:44
Rather than the last beep,
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Ne vend te sinjalit te fundit,
02:46
Owens would have been the second beep.
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Owens do te kishte qene bipi i dyte.
02:49
Listen to it again.
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Degjojeni edhe nje here.
02:51
(Beeps)
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(Bip)
02:53
That's the difference track
surface technology has made,
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Kjo eshte diferenca qe ka bere tknologjia me pisten,
02:55
and it's done it throughout the running world.
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dhe eshte e bere ne te gjitha pistat e botes.
02:57
Consider a longer event.
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Konsideroni nje ngjarje me te gjate.
02:59
In 1954, Sir Roger Bannister
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Ne 1954, Sir Roger Bannisiter
03:02
became the first man to run
under four minutes in the mile.
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u be personi i pare i cili vrapoi nen kater minuta per nje milje.
03:05
Nowadays, college kids do that every year.
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Ditet e sotme, studentet e universitetit e bejne ate cdo vit.
03:08
On rare occasions, a high school kid does it.
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Ne raste te rralla edhe nje nxnes i shkolles se mesme mund ta beje.
03:11
As of the end of last year,
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Deri në fund të vitit të kaluar,
03:12
1,314 men
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1.314 burra
03:15
had run under four minutes in the mile,
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kishin vrapuar nen kater minuta per milje,
03:17
but like Jesse Owens,
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por sikur Jesses Owens,
03:19
Sir Roger Bannister ran on soft cinders
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Sir Roger Bannister vrapoi ne hi te bute
03:21
that stole far more energy from his legs
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dhe kjo i harxhoi me shume energji kembeve te tij
03:23
than the synthetic tracks of today.
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sesa bejne pistat sintektike te sotme.
03:25
So I consulted biomechanics experts
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Keshtu une konsultova ekspertet e biomekanikes
03:27
to find out how much slower it is to run on cinders
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per te zbuluar sa me ngadale vrapohet ne hi
03:30
than synthetic tracks,
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sesa ne pista sintetike,
03:31
and their consensus that it's
one and a half percent slower.
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dhe konsensusi i tyre ishte nje perqind e gjysem me ngadale.
03:34
So if you apply a one and a half
percent slowdown conversion
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Pra nese aplikoni nje perqind e gjysme te shendrrimit te ngadalshem
03:37
to every man who ran his sub-four mile
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per secilin person qe vrapon kater milje
03:40
on a synthetic track,
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ne nje piste sintetike,
03:41
this is what happens.
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kjo eshte ajo cka ndodh.
03:43
Only 530 are left.
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Kane mbetur vetem 530.
03:45
If you look at it from that perspective,
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Nese e shikoni nga kjo perspektive,
03:47
fewer than ten new men per [year]
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me pak se dhjete ne vit
03:49
have joined the sub-four mile club
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i jane bashkuar klubit te nen- kater milje
03:50
since Sir Roger Bannister.
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që nga Sir Roger Bannister.
03:53
Now, 530 is a lot more than one,
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Tani, 530 eshte me shume sesa nje,
03:56
and that's partly because
there are many more people
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dhe kjo është pjesërisht për shkak se
ka shumë më shumë njerëz
03:57
training today and they're training more intelligently.
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qe trajnohen sot dhe jane duke u trajnuar me me inteligjence.
04:00
Even college kids are professional in their training
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Edhe femijet e koelgjit jane profesionist ne trajnimet e tyre
04:02
compared to Sir Roger Bannister,
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te krahasuar ndaj Sir Roger Bannister,
04:03
who trained for 45 minutes at a time
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i cili trajnohej per 45 minuta
04:05
while he ditched gynecology lectures in med school.
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qe ishte larguar nga leksionet e gjinekologjise ne shkollen e mjeksise.
04:08
And that guy who won the 1904 Olympic marathon
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Dhe ai djali i cili fitoi maratonen olimpike te 1904
04:10
in three in a half hours,
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ne tre ore e gjysme,
04:12
that guy was drinking rat poison and brandy
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ai djale ishte duke pire helm miu dhe raki
04:14
while he ran along the course.
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pederisa vraponte ne piste.
04:16
That was his idea of a performance-enhancing drug.
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Kjo ishte idea e performances se tij.
04:19
(Laughter)
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(Buzeqeshje)
04:21
Clearly, athletes have gotten more savvy
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Duket qarte, se atletet jane bere me te pjekur sot
04:23
about performance-enhancing drugs as well,
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rreth ilaceve qe rrisin perfromancen,
04:25
and that's made a difference
in some sports at some times,
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dhe kjo ka bere ndryshimin
ne disa sporte disa here,
04:27
but technology has made a difference in all sports,
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por teknologjia ka bere ndryshim ne te gjitha sportet,
04:30
from faster skis to lighter shoes.
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nga ski me te shpejta tek kepucet e lehta.
04:32
Take a look at the record for
the 100-meter freestyle swim.
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Hidhni një sy të dhënave për
stilin e lirë not ne 100-metër.
04:35
The record is always trending downward,
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Rekordi gjithmone eshte duke pesuar renie,
04:38
but it's punctuated by these steep cliffs.
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por eshte nderprere nga keto shkembinj te thikte.
04:41
This first cliff, in 1956, is the introduction
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Shkembi i pare, ne 1956, eshte hyrja
04:44
of the flip turn.
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rrokullisese.
04:45
Rather than stopping and turning around,
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Ne vend se te ndaleni dhe ktheni,
04:47
athletes could somersault under the water
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atletet mund te kaperdinje nen uje
04:49
and get going right away in the opposite direction.
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dhe te shkojne menjehere ne drejtimin e kundert.
04:51
This second cliff, the introduction of gutters
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Shkembi i dyte, eshte prezantimi i kanalit
04:54
on the side of the pool
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ne anen tjeter te pishines,
04:56
that allows water to splash off,
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qe e lejon ujin te sperkat,
04:57
rather than becoming turbulence
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ne vend se te bej turbulenca
04:58
that impedes the swimmers as they race.
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qe ti pengonte notuesit ndersa garojne.
05:01
This final cliff,
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Ky shkemb i fundit,
05:02
the introduction of full-body
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futja e rrobave te banjes trup tere trupit
05:04
and low-friction swimsuits.
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dhe me ferkim te ulet.
05:05
Throughout sports, technology has
changed the face of performance.
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Permes sportit, teknologjia ka ndryshuar
formen e performances.
05:09
In 1972, Eddy Merckx set the record
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Ne 1972, Eddy Merckx vendosi rekordin
05:12
for the longest distance cycled in one hour
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për distancë më të gjatë të cilklizmit në një orë
05:14
at 30 miles, 3,774 feet.
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në 30 milje, 3774 metra.
05:18
Now that record improved and improved
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Tani ai rekord sa vjen e permiresohet
05:21
as bicycles improved and became more aerodynamic
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teksa biçikletat u permiresun dhe u bene me aerodinamike
05:24
all the way until 1996,
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gjate tere 1996,
05:25
when it was set at 35 miles, 1,531 feet,
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ku u vendos per 35 milje, 1,531 metra,
05:30
nearly five miles farther
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aferisht pese milje me larg
05:32
than Eddy Merckx cycled in 1972.
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sesa Eddy Merckx ne vitin 1972.
05:35
But then in 2000, the International Cycling Union
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Por më pas në vitin 2000, Bashkimi Ndërkombëtar i Ciklizmit
05:38
decreed that anyone who wanted to hold that record
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dha urdher se kushdo qe deshiron te mbaj ate rekord
05:41
had to do so with essentially the same equipment
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duhej ta bente me pajisjet e njejta thelbesore
05:44
that Eddy Merckx used in 1972.
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qe Eddy Mercks perdori ne 1972.
05:47
Where does the record stand today?
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Ku qendron rekordi sot?
05:49
30 miles, 4,657 feet,
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30 milje, 4,657 metra,
05:53
a grand total of 883 feet
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ne nje total prej 883 metra
05:56
farther than Eddy Merckx cycled
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me shume sesa Eddy Mercks kreu nje cikel
05:57
more than four decades ago.
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me shume sesa kater dekada me pare.
05:59
Essentially the entire improvement in this record
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Ne thelb, i gjithe permiresimi ne kete ne kete regjistrim
06:02
was due to technology.
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ishte per shkak te teknologjise.
06:04
Still, technology isn't the only
thing pushing athletes forward.
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Megjithatë, teknologjia nuk është e vetmja
gjë qe i shtyn atletët përpara.
06:07
While indeed we haven't evolved
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Ndërsa në të vërtetë ne nuk kemi evoluar
06:08
into a new species in a century,
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në një specie të re në një shekull,
06:10
the gene pool within competitive sports
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pishina gjenetike e sporteve konkuruese
06:12
most certainly has changed.
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me siguri ka ndryshuar.
06:14
In the early half of the 20th century,
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Ne gjysmen e pare te shekullit 20,
06:16
physical education instructors and coaches
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instruktore te edukimit fizike dhe trajneret
06:18
had the idea that the average body type
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paten idene se mesatarja e tipit te trupit
06:20
was the best for all athletic endeavors:
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ishte me e mira per te gjithe llojet e sportit:
06:22
medium height, medium weight, no matter the sport.
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gjatesi mesatre, peshe mesatare, pavarsisht sportit.
06:26
And this showed in athletes' bodies.
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Dhe kjo u tregua ne trupat e atleteve.
06:28
In the 1920s, the average elite high-jumper
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Ne 1920, mesatraja e elites ne kercim se larti
06:30
and average elite shot-putter
were the same exact size.
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dhe mesatarje e elites ne flakjen se gjyles
ishin te se njejtes madhesi.
06:34
But as that idea started to fade away,
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Por pasi idea filloj te venitej,
06:36
as sports scientists and coaches realized that
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pasi shkenctaret e sportit dhe trajneret kuptuan se
06:38
rather than the average body type,
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ne vend te mesatres se tipit te trupit,
06:39
you want highly specialized bodies
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ajo qe duhej ishin trupa te specializuara
06:41
that fit into certain athletic niches,
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qe pershtaten per sporte te caktuar,
06:44
a form of artificial selection took place,
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nje forme e re perzgjedhjeje artificiale zuri vend,
06:46
a self-sorting for bodies that fit certain sports,
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2623
nje vet-perzgjedhje per trupa qe i pershtaten sporteve te caktuara,
06:48
and athletes' bodies became
more different from one another.
171
396798
2660
dhe trupat e atleteve u bene me te ndryshem nga njeri tjetri.
06:51
Today, rather than the same size
as the average elite high jumper,
172
399458
3956
Sot, me shume sesa madhesia e njejte
sesa mesatraj e elites se kercim se lartit
06:55
the average elite shot-putter
173
403414
1014
mesatarja e elites se flakjes se gjyles
06:56
is two and a half inches taller
174
404428
1651
eshte dy inq e gjysme m e gjate
06:58
and 130 pounds heavier.
175
406079
3089
dhe 130 pund me e rende.
07:01
And this happened throughout the sports world.
176
409168
1919
Dhe kjo gje ka ndodhur me te gjitha sportet e botes.
07:03
In fact, if you plot on a height versus mass graph
177
411087
2665
Ne fakt, nese hartoni lartesine kundrejt grafikes se mases
07:05
one data point for each of two dozen sports
178
413752
2528
nje te dhene per te dyja sportet
07:08
in the first half of the 20th century, it looks like this.
179
416280
3285
ne gjysem e pare te shekullit 20-te, duket keshtu.
07:11
There's some dispersal,
180
419565
1485
Ka disa shpërndarje,
07:13
but it's kind of grouped
around that average body type.
181
421050
3010
por eshte si grup
rreth mesatres se tipit te trupit.
07:16
Then that idea started to go away,
182
424060
1579
Pastaj ajo ide filloi te largohej,
07:17
and at the same time, digital technology --
183
425639
1701
dhe ne te njejten kohe, teknologjia digjitale--
07:19
first radio, then television and the Internet --
184
427340
2207
radio e pare, pastaj televizioni dhe interneti--
07:21
gave millions, or in some cases billions, of people
185
429547
2377
dha miliona, ose ne disa raste biliona, te njerezve
07:24
a ticket to consume elite sports performance.
186
431924
3179
nje bilete per te shpenzuar performanca sportive te elites.
07:27
The financial incentives and fame and glory
afforded elite athletes skyrocketed,
187
435103
3873
Stimujt financiare, fama dhe lavdia
i sigurojne atletëve elite te arrijne kulmin,
07:31
and it tipped toward the tiny
upper echelon of performance.
188
438976
4193
dhe largoi performancen e klases se larte.
07:35
It accelerated the artificial
selection for specialized bodies.
189
443169
3427
Ajo pershpejtoj perzgjedhjen artificiale per trupa te specializuar.
07:38
And if you plot a data point for these same
190
446596
1628
Dhe nese ju hartoni te dhena te njejta
07:40
two dozen sports today, it looks like this.
191
448224
3882
per keto dy sporte sot, do te duket keshtu.
07:44
The athletes' bodies have gotten
192
452106
1427
Trupat e atleteve jane bere
07:45
much more different from one another.
193
453533
2194
shume me ndryshe nga njeri-tjetri.
07:47
And because this chart looks like the charts
194
455727
2109
Dhe per shkak se kjo grafike duket si grafiket
07:50
that show the expanding universe,
195
457836
1731
qe tregojne universin e zgjeruar,
07:51
with the galaxies flying away from one another,
196
459567
2460
me galaksite qe fluturojne nga njera tek tjetra,
07:54
the scientists who discovered it call it
197
462027
1644
shkenctaret te cilet e kane zbuluar ate qe quajne
07:55
"The Big Bang of Body Types."
198
463671
3289
"Big Bengu i tipave te trupit."
07:59
In sports where height is prized, like basketball,
199
466960
2408
Në sport ku lartësia është e çmuar, si basketbolli,
08:01
the tall athletes got taller.
200
469368
1790
atletet e gjate zgjaten me shume.
08:03
In 1983, the National Basketball Association
201
471158
3106
Ne 1983, Asociacioni Kombetar i Basketbollit
08:06
signed a groundbreaking agreement
202
474264
1323
nenshkrujati nje marreveshje inovative
08:07
making players partners in the league,
203
475587
2052
duke i bere lojtaret partner ne lige,
08:09
entitled to shares of ticket revenues
204
477639
1550
duke i dhene aksione ne te ardhurat e biletave
08:11
and television contracts.
205
479189
1907
dhe konratat televizive.
08:13
Suddenly, anybody who could be an NBA player
206
481096
2203
Papritmas, kushdo qe mund te ishte lojtar
08:15
wanted to be,
207
483299
1196
deshironte te behej NBA,
08:16
and teams started scouring the globe
208
484495
1846
dhe ekipet filluan te pastronin boten
08:18
for the bodies that could
help them win championships.
209
486341
2280
per trupat qe mund te ndihmonin ata te fitonin kampionatin.
08:20
Almost overnight,
210
488621
1743
Pothuajse brenda natës,
08:22
the proportion of men in the NBA
211
490364
1378
përqindja e njerëzve në NBA
08:23
who are at least seven feet tall doubled
212
491742
1892
të cilët janë të paktën shtatë feet (afer dy metra) te gjate u dyfishuan
08:25
to 10 percent.
213
493634
1765
me 10 përqind.
08:27
Today, one in 10 men in the NBA
214
495399
2023
Sot, nje ne 10 lojtar ne NBA
08:29
is at least seven feet tall,
215
497422
2182
eshte te paketen shtate feet (afer dy metra) i gjate,
08:31
but a seven-foot-tall man is incredibly rare
216
499604
2149
por njeriu shtate feet eshte jashtezakonisht i rralle
08:33
in the general population --
217
501753
1519
ne popullsine e pergjithshme--
08:35
so rare that if you know an American man
218
503272
2650
aq i rralle saqe nese nje Amerikan
08:38
between the ages of 20 and 40
219
505922
1405
ndermjet moshes 20 dhe 40 vjec
08:39
who is at least seven feet tall,
220
507327
2136
i cili eshte te pakten shtate feet i gjate (afer dy metra)
08:41
there's a 17 percent chance
221
509463
1772
ka gjasa 17 perqind gjasa
08:43
he's in the NBA right now.
222
511235
1805
qe ai eshte ne NBA tani.
08:45
(Laughter)
223
513040
2938
(Te qeshura)
08:48
That is, find six honest seven footers,
224
515978
2876
Kjo do te thote, te gjesh gjashte shtatelarte te sinqerte
08:51
one is in the NBA right now.
225
518854
3230
nje prej tyre i ke ne NBA tani.
08:54
And that's not the only way that
NBA players' bodies are unique.
226
522084
2829
Dhe kjo nuk eshte arsyeja se trupat e lojtareve te NBA
jane unik.
08:57
This is Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man,"
227
524913
2615
Ky eshte "Njeriu Vitruvian" i Leonardo Da Vincit
08:59
the ideal proportions,
228
527528
1423
propocionet ideale,
09:01
with arm span equal to height.
229
528951
1999
me gjeresi te krahve te barabarte me gjatesine.
09:03
My arm span is exactly equal to my height.
230
530950
2508
Gjersia e kraheve eshte saktsisht e barabarte me gjatesine time.
09:05
Yours is probably very nearly so.
231
533458
2136
E juaja eshte ndoshta pothuajse gati.
09:07
But not the average NBA player.
232
535594
2162
Por jo ne mesataren e lojtarit te NBA.
09:09
The average NBA player is a shade under 6'7",
233
537756
2807
Mesatarja tek nje lojtari NBA eshte poshte 6'7",
09:12
with arms that are seven feet long.
234
540563
2311
me krahe te cilet jane te gjate 2 metra.
09:15
Not only are NBA players ridiculously tall,
235
542874
2798
Lojtaret e NBA jo vetem qe jane ne menyre qesharake shtatelarte,
09:17
they are ludicrously long.
236
545672
2278
ata ne menyre absurde jane te gjate.
09:20
Had Leonardo wanted to draw
237
547950
1005
A deshironte Leonardo te vizatonte
09:21
the Vitruvian NBA Player,
238
548955
1975
lojtarin Vitruvian te NBA,
09:23
he would have needed a rectangle and an ellipse,
239
550930
1973
ai do të kishte nevojë për një drejtkëndësh dhe një elips,
09:25
not a circle and a square.
240
552903
2782
jo një rreth dhe një katror.
09:27
So in sports where large size is prized,
241
555685
2165
Pra, ne sporte ku madhesia eshte e çmuar,
09:30
the large athletes have gotten larger.
242
557850
2071
atletet e medhenj jane bere me te medhenj.
09:32
Conversely, in sports where
diminutive stature is an advantage,
243
559921
2979
Ne anen tjeter, ne sporte ku
te qenurit shtat vogel eshte avantazh,
09:35
the small athletes got smaller.
244
562900
2217
atletet e vegjel jane bere me te vegjel.
09:37
The average elite female gymnast
245
565117
1663
Mesatarja e gjimansteve femra elite
09:38
shrunk from 5'3" to 4'9" on average
246
566780
2763
u zvoglua mesatarisht prej 5'3 ne 4'9
09:41
over the last 30 years,
247
569543
1337
gjate 30 viteve te fundit,
09:43
all the better for their power-to-weight ratio
248
570880
2115
e gjitha ne te miren e raportit fuqi- peshe
09:45
and for spinning in the air.
249
572995
1770
dhe e gjitha per rrotullim ne ajer.
09:46
And while the large got larger
250
574765
1362
Dhe perderisa te medhenjt u bene me te medhenj
09:48
and the small got smaller,
251
576127
1364
dhe te vegjelit me te vegjel,
09:49
the weird got weirder.
252
577491
2428
te çuditshmit u bene me te çuditshem.
09:52
The average length of the forearm
253
579919
1550
Gjatesia mesatare e parakrahut
09:53
of a water polo player in relation
254
581469
1751
i nje lojtari polo uji, ne raport
09:55
to their total arm got longer,
255
583220
1857
me kraun ne teresi, eshte zgjatur
09:57
all the better for a forceful throwing whip.
256
585077
2129
e gjitha ne te miren e hedhjes.
09:59
And as the large got larger,
257
587206
1727
Dhe ndersa te medhenjt u bene me te medhenj,
10:01
small got smaller, and the weird weirder.
258
588933
2370
te vegjlit me te vegjel, dhe te çuditshmit me te çuditshem.
10:03
In swimming, the ideal body type
259
591303
2193
Në not, tipi ideal trupit
10:05
is a long torso and short legs.
260
593496
1895
është një bust i gjatë dhe këmbët e shkurtra.
10:07
It's like the long hull of a canoe
261
595391
1939
Eshte si nje byk i gjate i lundres
10:09
for speed over the water.
262
597330
1706
per shpejtesi ne uje.
10:11
And the opposite is advantageous in running.
263
599036
1765
Dhe e kundërta është e dobishme në vrapim
10:13
You want long legs and a short torso.
264
600801
2015
Ju dëshironi këmbë të gjata dhe një bust të shkurtër.
10:15
And this shows in athletes' bodies today.
265
602816
2196
Dhe kjo tregohet në trupat e atletëve sot.
10:17
Here you see Michael Phelps,
266
605012
1595
E shihni Michael Phelps,
10:18
the greatest swimmer in history,
267
606607
1464
notuesi me i mire ne histori,
10:20
standing next to Hicham El Guerrouj,
268
608071
2869
duke qendruar perkrah Hicham El Guerrouj,
10:23
the world record holder in the mile.
269
610940
1987
bartesi i rekordit boteror.
10:25
These men are seven inches different in height,
270
612927
2817
Këta njerëz janë shtatë inç të ndryshme në gjatesi,
10:27
but because of the body types
271
615744
1202
por për shkak të llojeve të trupit
10:29
advantaged in their sports,
272
616946
1863
avantazh në sport e tyre,
10:31
they wear the same length pants.
273
618809
2388
ata veshin pantallona me gjatësi te njejte.
10:33
Seven inches difference in height,
274
621197
1494
Shtatë inç ndryshim në gjatesi,
10:34
these men have the same length legs.
275
622691
2520
keta njerez kane te njejte gjatesi te kembeve.
10:37
Now in some cases, the search for bodies
276
625211
1958
Keshtu ne disa raste, hulumtimi i trupave
10:39
that could push athletic performance forward
277
627169
1973
qe mund te shty performancat atletike me tutje
10:41
ended up introducing into the competitive world
278
629142
2643
perfundoi duke u futur ne boten konkurruese
10:43
populations of people that weren't
previously competing at all,
279
631785
3139
popullsi njerezish te cilet nuk ishin fare
konkurrues me parë,
10:47
like Kenyan distance runners.
280
634924
2752
si vrapuesit ne distance Kenian.
10:49
We think of Kenyans as being great marathoners.
281
637676
3330
Ne mendojme per Kenianet si maratonist te shkelqyer.
10:53
Kenyans think of the Kalenjin tribe
282
641006
2378
Kenianet mendojne per fisin Kalenjin
10:55
as being great marathoners.
283
643384
2100
si maratonist te shkelqyer.
10:57
The Kalenjin make up just 12 percent
284
645484
2095
Kalenjin përbëjnë vetëm 12 për qind
10:59
of the Kenyan population
285
647579
1797
te popullise Keniane
11:01
but the vast majority of elite runners.
286
649376
2169
por shumica e vrapuesve elite sot.
11:03
And they happen, on average,
287
651545
1306
Mesatarisht,
11:05
to have a certain unique physiology:
288
652851
2104
ata kane nje fiziologji unike:
11:07
legs that are very long
289
654955
1081
kembe shume te gjata
11:08
and very thin at their extremity,
290
656036
2538
dhe shume te dobeta ne ekstremitet,
11:10
and this is because they have their ancestry
291
658574
1418
dhe kjo eshte per shkak te prejardhjes se tyre
11:12
at very low latitude
292
659992
1435
në gjerësi shumë të ulët
11:13
in a very hot and dry climate,
293
661427
2415
në një klimë shumë të nxehtë dhe të thatë,
11:16
and an evolutionary adaptation to that
294
663842
1890
dhe një adaptim evolucionar qe
11:17
is limbs that are very long
295
665732
958
jane gjymtyrët tejet të gjata
11:18
and very thin at the extremity
296
666690
1519
dhe shume te holle ne ekstremitet
11:20
for cooling purposes.
297
668209
1774
per qellime ftohje.
11:22
It's the same reason that a radiator has long coils,
298
669983
3029
Është e njëjta arsye që një radiator ka mbështjellje të gjatë,
11:25
to increase surface area compared to volume
299
673012
1842
për rritjen e sipërfaqes krahasuar me volumin
11:27
to let heat out,
300
674854
1942
per te leshuar ngrohjen jashte,
11:28
and because the leg is like a pendulum,
301
676796
1513
dhe per shkak qe kembet jane si lavjerres,
11:30
the longer and thinner it is at the extremity,
302
678309
1657
sa me te gjata e me te dobeta deri ne ekstremitet,
11:32
the more energy-efficient it is to swing.
303
679966
2779
më shumë energji-efektive lenkundet.
11:34
To put Kalenjin running success in perspective,
304
682745
2594
Per te vene suksesin e vrapimit te Kalenjin ne prespektive
11:37
consider that 17 American men in history
305
685339
2727
duke konsideruar se 17 amerikan ne histori
11:40
have run faster than two hours and 10 minutes
306
688066
2629
kane vrapuar me shpejte se dy ore e 10 minuta
11:42
in the marathon.
307
690695
1289
ne maratone.
11:44
That's a four-minute-and-58-second-per-mile pace.
308
691984
3047
Kjo eshte kater-minuta- e- 58-sekonda-per-milje.
11:47
Thirty-two Kalenjin men did that last October.
309
695031
2935
Tridhjet-e-dy Kalenjin e kan bere kete gje Tetorin e kaluar.
11:50
(Laughter)
310
697966
2094
(Te qeshura)
11:52
That's from a source population the size
311
700060
1821
Kjo eshte nga nje burimi popullesia me madhesine
11:54
of metropolitan Atlanta.
312
701881
2827
e Atlantes metropolitane.
11:56
Still, even changing technology
313
704708
1574
Megjithatë, edhe ndryshimi i teknologjisë
11:58
and the changing gene pool in sports
314
706282
1606
dhe ndryshimi i gjenit ne sporte
12:00
don't account for all of the changes in performance.
315
707888
2473
nuk vlen per te gjitha ndryshimet ne performnaca.
12:02
Athletes have a different mindset than they once did.
316
710361
2890
Atletet kane mendime te ndryshme nga me pare.
12:05
Have you ever seen in a movie when someone gets
317
713251
1369
A keni parë ndonjëherë në një film kur dikush merr
12:06
an electrical shock
318
714620
1272
një goditje elektrike
12:08
and they're thrown across a room?
319
715892
2323
dhe ata hidhen nëpër dhomë?
12:10
There's no explosion there.
320
718215
1571
Nuk ka shpërthim atje.
12:11
What's happening when that happens is that
321
719786
1238
Çfarë ndodh është se
12:13
the electrical impulse is causing
322
721024
1462
impulsi elektrik është duke shkaktuar
12:14
all their muscle fibers to twitch at once,
323
722486
2130
qe të gjitha fibrat e muskujve të tyre te dridhen në një herë,
12:16
and they're throwing themselves across the room.
324
724616
2594
dhe ata janë duke hedhur veten nëpër dhomë.
12:19
They're essentially jumping.
325
727210
1897
Ata ne te verete jane duke kercyer.
12:21
That's the power
326
729107
1177
Kjo është fuqia
12:22
that's contained in the human body.
327
730284
1949
që përfshihet në trupin e njeriut.
12:24
But normally we can't access nearly all of it.
328
732233
2227
Por normalisht ne nuk mund te kemi akses ne të gjithë atë.
12:26
Our brain acts as a limiter,
329
734460
2019
Truri ynë vepron si një limitues,
12:28
preventing us from accessing
all of our physical resources,
330
736479
2295
duke na penguar ne qasje në
të gjitha burimet tona fizike,
12:30
because we might hurt ourselves,
331
738774
1241
sepse ne mund ta lendojme veten tone,
12:32
tearing tendons or ligaments.
332
740015
1692
duke shkeputur ndonje pjesez ose ligament.
12:33
But the more we learn about
how that limiter functions,
333
741707
3023
Por sa me shume qe mesojme se si
funksionon ai limitues,
12:36
the more we learn how we can push it back
334
744730
1880
aq me shume mesojme se si mund ta shtyjme
12:38
just a bit,
335
746610
1440
pak me tutje,
12:40
in some cases by convincing the brain
336
748050
2432
ne disa raste duke bindur trurin
12:42
that the body won't be in mortal danger
337
750482
1774
se trupi nuk do te jete ne rrezik per vdekje
12:44
by pushing harder.
338
752256
1810
duke shtyre me shume.
12:46
Endurance and ultra-endurance sports
339
754066
1619
Durim dhe ultra-durim sportive
12:47
serve as a great example.
340
755685
1572
shërben si një shembull shume i mire.
12:49
Ultra-endurance was once thought to be harmful
341
757257
2122
Ultra-durimi dikur ishte menduar i dëmshem
12:51
to human health,
342
759379
1415
për shëndetin e njeriut
12:52
but now we realize
343
760794
1418
por tani e kuptojmë
12:54
that we have all these traits
344
762212
1096
se ne kemi të gjitha këto tipare
12:55
that are perfect for ultra-endurance:
345
763308
3104
që janë perfekte për ultra-durim:
12:58
no body fur and a glut of sweat glands
346
766412
2924
nuk ka qime trupi dhe një tepri te gjëndrave te djerses
13:01
that keep us cool while running;
347
769336
1616
qe na mban me te freskte teksa vrapojme:
13:03
narrow waists and long legs compared to our frames;
348
770952
3400
bel te ngushte dhe kembe te gjate krahasuar me kornizat tona;
13:06
large surface area of joints for shock absorption.
349
774352
2918
siperfaqe te madhe te nyjeve per absorbimin e goditjes.
13:09
We have an arch in our foot that acts like a spring,
350
777270
2734
Ne kemi nje hark ne kembet tona qe vepron si suste,
13:12
short toes that are better for pushing off
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780004
2103
gishta te shkurte qe jane me mire per shtyerje
13:14
than for grasping tree limbs,
352
782107
1674
pastaj per te shtrenguar gjymtyret
13:15
and when we run,
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783781
1127
dhe kur vrapojme,
13:17
we can turn our torso and our shoulders
354
784908
1525
ne mund te kthejme bustin dhe supet tona
13:18
like this while keeping our heads straight.
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786433
2044
keshtu perderisa mbajme kokat tona drejte.
13:20
Our primate cousins can't do that.
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788477
1483
Kushërinjtë tanë primati nuk mund ta bëjë këtë.
13:22
They have to run like this.
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789960
2310
Ata duhet te vrapojne keshtu.
13:24
And we have big old butt muscles
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792270
2066
Dhe ne kemi muskuj te medhenj te ndenjurash
13:26
that keep us upright while running.
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2087
qe na mbajne ne kembe teksa vrapojme.
13:28
Have you ever looked at an ape's butt?
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796423
1718
A keni pare ndonjehere prapanice te majmunit?
13:30
They have no buns because they don't run upright.
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798141
3005
Ata nuk kane kane kocka sepse nuk vrapojne ne kembe.
13:33
And as athletes have realized
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801146
1387
Dhe perderisa atletet kane kuptuar
13:34
that we're perfectly suited for ultra-endurance,
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802533
2557
se ne jemi te bere per ultra-durim,
13:37
they've taken on feats
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1047
ata kane marre persiper vepra
13:38
that would have been unthinkable before,
365
806137
2409
te cilat kane qene te pa imagjinushme me pare,
13:40
athletes like Spanish endurance racer Kílian Jornet.
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3903
atletet si vrapuesi Spanjoll Kilian Jornet.
13:44
Here's Kílian running up the Matterhorn.
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812449
2000
Ky eshte vrapuesi Kilian ne Matterhorn.
13:46
(Laughter)
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814449
1512
(Te qeshura)
13:48
With a sweatshirt there tied around his waist.
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815961
2609
Me një xhup te lidhur rreth belit të tij.
13:50
It's so steep he can't even run here.
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818570
1722
Eshte aq e rrepire saqe ai nuk mund te vrapoj ketu.
13:52
He's pulling up on a rope.
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820292
1653
Ai eshte duk u terhqur nga nje litar.
13:54
This is a vertical ascent
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821945
1337
Kjo eshte nje ngjitje vertikale
13:55
of more than 8,000 feet,
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823282
2109
e me shume se 8.000 feet,
13:57
and Kílian went up and down
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825391
1667
dhe Kilian shkoj lart e poshte
13:59
in under three hours.
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827058
2381
ne me pak se tre ore.
14:01
Amazing.
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829439
1919
E mrekullushme.
14:03
And talented though he is,
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1189
Aq i talentuar sa eshte ai,
14:04
Kílian is not a physiological freak.
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832547
2824
Kilian nuk eshte fanatik fiziologjik.
14:07
Now that he has done this,
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1679
Tani qe ai e ka bere kete,
14:09
other athletes will follow,
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837050
1911
atlet te tjere do te ndjekin,
14:11
just as other athletes followed
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1517
ashtu si atlet te tjere kane ndjekur
14:12
after Sir Roger Bannister
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840478
1574
pasi Sir Roger Bannister
14:14
ran under four minutes in the mile.
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2138
vrapoi per kater minuta ne milje.
14:16
Changing technology, changing genes,
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844190
1627
Ndryshimi i teknologjise, ndryshimi i gjenve,
14:18
and a changing mindset.
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2398
dhe ndryshimi i mendimit.
14:20
Innovation in sports,
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1784
Risite ne sport,
14:22
whether that's new track surfaces
387
849999
1657
nese ka pista te reja
14:23
or new swimming techniques,
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1464
ose teknika te reja te notimit,
14:25
the democratization of sport,
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1870
demokratizimi i sportit,
14:27
the spread to new bodies
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854990
1341
perhapja e organve te reja
14:28
and to new populations around the world,
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856331
2585
dhe popullsia e re rreth botes,
14:31
and imagination in sport,
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2053
dhe imagjinata ne sport,
14:33
an understanding of what the human body
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860969
1436
nje kuptim se per cka eshte ne gjendje
14:34
is truly capable of,
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1781
te beje trupi i njeriut,
14:36
have conspired to make athletes stronger,
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1892
kane vendosur te bejne atletet me te forte,
14:38
faster, bolder,
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2523
te shpejte, me guximtar,
14:40
and better than ever.
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1977
dhe me te mire se kurre me pare.
14:42
Thank you very much.
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2356
Faleminderit shume.
14:45
(Applause)
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Duartokitje
Translated by Ereblir Kadriu
Reviewed by Iris Xholi

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
David Epstein - Sports science reporter
David Epstein is an investigative reporter who covers the wide-open space where sports, science and medicine overlap.

Why you should listen
David Epstein writes about the developing science around sport -- from performance-enhancing drugs to the lucky genetics that separate a professional athlete from a duffer. A science writer and longtime contributor to Sports Illustrated, he's helped break stories on steroids in baseball, fraudulently marketed health remedies, and big-money irregularities in "amateur" college football. In 2007, inspired by the death of a childhood friend, he wrote a moving exploration of the most common cause of sudden death in young athletes, a hard-to-diagnose heart irregularity known as HCM.
 
Now an investigative reporter at ProPublica, Epstein is the author of The Sports Gene, a book that explores the complex factors that make up a championship athlete. Is there such a thing as natural greatness, or can even extreme skills -- like the freaky-fast reaction of a hockey great -- be learned? Conversely, is the desire and will to master extreme skills something you're born with?
More profile about the speaker
David Epstein | Speaker | TED.com