Effects of Speed and Posture on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Running and Required Power

Abstract

Types of running vary from jogging in parks to fast running in competitions. Humans strive for faster, stronger, and more sustainable running performances spanning short to long distances. In the near future, wearable devices will enable humans to run at high speeds and overcome human limits. Therefore, aerodynamic prediction is essential for the system design of a wearable device. This study focused on the aerodynamic drag and flow field according to the assumed human posture at takeoff and touchdown for various running speeds. Numerical simulations were conducted with the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation, and a mathematical model, in conjunction with the use of simple geometric models, was developed to predict the aerodynamic drag. In addition, the power and energy were analyzed based on the generated aerodynamic drag. This study demonstrated the theoretical prediction of aerodynamic drag, and estimated the power and energy required to overcome it. The results from this study can be useful in the fields of sports, soft robotics, and biomechanics. Furthermore, the effects of wearable devices attached to the body on the aerodynamic drag can be analyzed by applying the presented methods, and this analysis is beneficial for the optimal design of wearable suits.