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How might the cardiovascular health of someone with both legs below the knee missing be affected? Would people be able to engage in activities that involve sustained cardio, like flying?

Background: the people in the world I’m building live on a moon with 1/3 Earth’s gravity and high air density. They have flying soldiers that wear artificial wings.

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to WorldBuilding.SE. Your question is interesting but it needs to be fleshed out a lot more. Don't "forget to mention" something that is really the core of the question. Go back and edit it. Make it a comprehensive question with all the elements laid out clearly. $\endgroup$
    – Cyn
    Dec 24, 2018 at 21:45
  • $\begingroup$ Love? Or live on a moon? $\endgroup$
    – L.Dutch
    Dec 24, 2018 at 21:47
  • $\begingroup$ Actually, the only way humans are going to be able to fly with arm-powered wings is to have their legs amputated. Otherwise their center of gravity will be too far to the rear, and they will stall and crash: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Midwest_Flight_5481 (I suppose they could fly in a more-or-less upright posture, but that would take quite a bit more power.) $\endgroup$
    – jamesqf
    Dec 25, 2018 at 3:51
  • $\begingroup$ One specific question/one best answer. Please note that SE is not a discussion forum. $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Dec 25, 2018 at 17:42
  • $\begingroup$ Your question is being flagged as unclear: in reading, I think it's unclear what the implications of flight are. Your soldiers have "artificial wings", which could mean anything from feathers strapped to their arms to a futuristic flight suit. Please edit your question to indicate exactly what you mean by "flying humans", "artificial wings" and how they relate to "amputees" and "cardiovascular health". Right now, you've got a bunch of dots that haven't been connected! $\endgroup$
    – elemtilas
    Dec 25, 2018 at 18:55

2 Answers 2

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Cardiovascular health has to do with your heart and lungs, not what you use to exercise them. You can be a double amputee and be in phenomenally good shape. The poster boy for this principle is still Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius.

Oscar Pistorius https://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/70151201.html?thread=12250410273

In your world with artificial wings, I have to think they will have some pretty rocking prosthetic legs. And even if you had no legs or were paraplegic and could not move your legs, you could still be in terrific shape.

wheelchair athlete https://www.passionatepeople.invacare.eu.com/need-know-wheelchair-racing/

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Legs are about a sixth of bodyweight each. So both together are around a third of overall bodyweight. The part of the leg below the knee is about 6% or 13% for both. Those who had an amputation from the waist down would get rid of about half their weight.

Source: Quora, but see the reference links:

Of course, those who spent all their time flying rather than walking would tend to have less developed lower bodies already, even without amputation.

As already noted, amputees can be very fit.

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