Hysterical strength
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Hysterical strength describes displays of extreme strength by humans, beyond what is believed to be normal. It is a speculative term that is not recognized in medical academia; the concept has only a small body of anecdotal evidence to support it.
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[edit] Examples
The most common anecdotal examples are of mothers lifting automobiles to rescue their children, and when people are in life and death situations. Hysterical strength can result in torn muscles and damaged joints. This is why, in addition to high lactic acid production, the body limits the number of muscle fibers the human body uses.[citation needed]
- In 1982, in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Tony Cavallo was repairing a 1964 Chevrolet Impala automobile from underneath. The vehicle was propped up with jacks, but it fell. Cavallo's mother, Mrs. Angela Cavallo, lifted the car high enough and long enough for two neighbours to replace the jacks and pull Tony from beneath the car.[1]
- In 2006, in Tucson, Arizona, Tim Boyle watched as a Chevrolet Camaro hit 18-year-old Kyle Holtrust. The car pinned Holtrust, still alive, underneath. Boyle lifted the Camaro off the teenager, while the driver of the car pulled the teen to safety.[1][2]
- In 2009, in Ottawa, Kansas, 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), 185 lb (84 kg) Nick Harris lifted a Mercury sedan to help a 6 year old girl pinned beneath.[3]
- In 2011, in Tampa, Florida, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 295 lb (134 kg) college football player Danous Estenor lifted a 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) car off of a man who had been caught underneath. The man was a tow truck driver who had been pinned under the rear tire of a 1990 Cadillac Seville, which had lurched forward as he worked underneath it. The man suffered only minor injuries.[4]
[edit] Research
Early experiments showed that adrenaline increases twitch, but not tetanus force and rate of force development in muscles.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Clark, Josh. "How can adrenaline help you lift a 3,500-pound car?", 11 December 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. retrieved 13 November 2008.
- ^ Huicochea, Alexis. "Man lifts car off pinned cyclist", Arizona Daily Star, 28 July 2006. retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ Associated Press. "Kansas dad somehow lifts car off 6-year-old girl", 18 December 2009. news.yahoo.com. retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ^ Greg Auman (2011-06-24). "USF Bulls offensive lineman Danous Estenor lifts car to free trapped man". St. Petersburg Times (Tampa Bay, FL). http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/article1176983.ece.
- ^ Hoh, JF; Rossmanith, GH; Kwan, LJ; Hamilton, AM (1988). "Adrenaline increases the rate of cycling of crossbridges in rat cardiac muscle as measured by pseudo-random binary noise-modulated perturbation analysis". Circulation Research 62: 452-461. doi:10.1161/01.RES.62.3.452. http://circres.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/62/3/452.
