Hooked on Science: Use big toe to figure athletic potential

Use the size of your big toe to determine your athletic ability.

Materials

* Foot

Instructions

STEP 1: Take off your shoes and observe your feet.

STEP 2: Is your big toe longer or shorter than your second toe?

Explanation

If your big or first toe extends further, foot experts who study sports performance, say you possess a natural advantage in skiing, sprinting and certain other sports. Having a longer big toe, you can more readily lean your full body weight onto it. Your big toe can exert about twice as much force as your second toe.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website www.hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments.