Physicists studying the secrets of Bolt's success announced the findings
after a detailed study of the Jamaican sprinter's 100m performance
during the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
They discovered that he produced a remarkable 81.58kJ of energy -
compared to just 1.6kJ of energy a bullet produces when it leaves the
barrel of a 0.44 calibre Magnum handgun.
They also calculated that he reached a top speed of 27mph during the race.
But unlike a bullet - which can reach 1,000mph - Bolt's huge 6ft 5ins
frame meant more than 92 per cent of his energy was absorbed in battling
air resistance.
The researchers found he had to produce an 'extraordinary' amount of
power to reach his 100m world record time - and because he's so tall he
is less aerodynamic than the average human.
They made the discovery after taking into account the altitude of the
Berlin track, the temperature at the time of the race and the
cross-section of Bolt himself.
Bolt reached a maximum power of 2,619.5watts - a horsepower of 3.5 -
within 0.89 seconds when he was only at half his maximum speed, which
shows the effect the drag had on his acceleration.
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