Chimpanzee Strength: How Are They 5x Stronger?

[Lsos]

I've heard from many sources that chimpanzees are 5x stronger than humans. Yet, they weigh less than humans and certainly don't look "big" and muscular.

So the question is, how are they 5x stronger? Do they have muscles that are 5x bigger? It doesn't look like it. Are their muscles more efficient? More power dense?

Or perhaps the 5x figure only refers to arms, but their legs are weaker than humans' ?

I understand why their arms need to be much more powerful, but I'm just not seeing it by looking at them (in pictures, on the internet).

 

[Lievo]

No idea where the *5 comes from, but yes chimpanzees are stronger. The usual explanation is that the muscle fibers are not the same.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090330200829.htm

 

[Lsos]

Interesting article. Thank you, pretty much hits the nail on the head! Even if it doesn't 100% answer my question, it does 100% relate to it. Whatever is lacking, is simply because nobody really knows.

 

[kgbgru]

On a recent episode of Stan Lees superhuman they looked at a man who is super strong and can bend metal bars and cooking pans. They showed the electrical activity in one of his arms when he was bending a pan. They said he had a much stronger signal than normal people would have. Reading that article reminded me of that.