Thinking in terms of the engineering history, it would be interesting to know if the average dimensions (height, weight, etc.) of athletes was taken into account when designing such parts. Or it could simply be, “Luigi keeps breaking the cranks, make them thicker.” 😆

Average heights per country by decade are not too hard to find (see link below). Weight data is not easy to find, but BMI is. As you may expect, Americans are a little taller and heavier than French and Italian men, and the numbers generally go up during the previous decades.

Heights of Americans, French, and Italian men by decade

Important: My post here is only regarding factors of engineering design. Please continue to enjoy bicycling whatever your individual statistics may be.