bjones
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Several instances of individuals attaining a short period of superhuman strength have been documented and witnessed. However, medical scientists dispute the claim that this is possible. The problem, it seems, is that this phenomenon cannot be reproduced in a laboratory setting because it requires an element of surprise. It is also worth noting that no one has been reported to lift a car over his or her head and hurl it through a building like the Incredible Hulk. At most, cars have been lifted a few inches off the ground.
Adrenaline is a hormone produced by special glands near the kidneys that have no other purpose. The glands are triggered to release adrenaline into the bloodstream in potentially dangerous situations, otherwise known as fight-or-flight situations.
Most people have experienced an adrenaline surge at some point in their lives. Adrenaline has several effects on the body. Some of the most notable effects include an increased heart rate, and the diversion of blood to the muscles so they operate more efficiently.
An adrenaline surge can be described in many different ways. It is a very subjective experience. Some people say they feel as if they are moving in slow motion. Others suffer from a type of tunnel vision, being purely focused on whatever is directly in front of them. Yet others feel like they are floating. The mind can be sometimes be blank during the surge, or a person may be feeling a moment of supreme clarity.
What people are able to do under the effects of adrenaline also varies. A lot of people simply freeze up, especially when this is their gut reaction. Some people react swiftly and either run from the situation or act to confront it. It is said that people can be trained to use their adrenaline to maximum benefit by recognizing how it affects you and what you are capable of doing under its influence.
The most famous instance of increased strength from adrenaline is probably the story to which your mother referred. In 1982, the teenage son of Angela Cavallo was working underneath his jacked-up Chevy Impala. A tire was off the car when it dropped, pinning him underneath. A neighborhood kid told Angela what had happened. She and other neighbors ran to his aid. The newspapers reported she lifted the car approximately 4 inches off the ground, enough to get the jacks back under it, jack the car back up and pull her son from underneath.
Getting an injection of adrenaline does not usually work the same way, because there is no element of sudden and impending danger. Medical studies continue, but for now, it looks like adrenaline is not the super-strength serum many people believe it to be.
 Posted 4585 day ago
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