There has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not ‘blade runners’ have an advantage when competing against able-bodied runners. A number of studies have shown that the energy you put into your spring is much lower than able-bodied athletes simply because you’re missing many of your leg muscles (who would’ve guessed?).
However, because of that missing energy, paralympic amputee runners tend to use their arms, upper body and hips much more efficiently to compensate for the lack of leg propulsion. That being said, amputees still have a clear disadvantage, especially on short distances, as it takes much longer for them to generate the same amount of energy.
