Will Olympic athletes ever stop breaking records?

The 2024 Summer Olympics have just kicked off in Paris. 

You may be rooting for your favorite elite athletes, hoping to witness them shatter records. But as performances improve and records get increasingly harder to surpass, will athletes ever reach the limits of what is possible?

The hammer throw may have already met this fate — no one has broken its world record since 1986. Yet, athletes frequently outdo themselves in other Sports, such as the 400-meter sprint.

Biophysical constraints on muscles — as well as other factors, such as reaction time — could set a limit on human achievement, experts told Live Science. However, innovative techniques and improved Sportswear could help athletes continue to unlock new levels of performance.

Related: Why is it harder for some people to build muscle than others?

The limitations of muscles

Olympians often boast impressive muscles, but bigger gains don't necessarily lead to improvements in athleticism. This is partly because muscles lose efficiency as they grow. 

Kevin Murach, a muscle researcher at the University of Arkansas, told Live Science that the most-efficient muscles contract along a line between two tendons. However, as they expand, muscles contract at a less-efficient, oblique angle. Overall, more muscle mass produces extra force, but the returns diminish as muscle mass continues to grow — and muscles will eventually approach a hard limit on what they can achieve.