Physical Activity and Sports Studies Assessment – Enhancing Performance

Technology has changed the way sport is played globally now that cameras, wearable technology, and sport science has advanced to be useful in changing sport technique to enhance performance. Technology has allowed players and coaches to analyse their technique and adjust them where necessary to ensure it is most effective. Furthermore, wearable technology has enhanced performance by not only allowing sportsmen/women to analyse various aspects of their technique, but it also allows the coaches to know their players’ limits and to push them there without training them too hard. Trainers need to ensure their players receive the correct balance of the volume, how much they have done, and the intensity, how hard they’ve worked, during training so the players aren’t overtrained or undertrained. Wearable technology allows these both aspects of training to be analysed accurately and precisely, allowing coaches to monitor their player/s factually instead of making a decision based on just their experience and gut feelings. Tomas Kundratek, a professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Kunlun Red Star hockey team, made a comment when CBC news briefly interviewed him. He stated that coaches in the past don’t know when their players are tired because every player wants to play the most and even if they are tired, they often convince their coach they aren’t, so they can show them they are committed, and they are ready to compete. Wearable technology has allowed coaches to look at the statistics and make a smart decision based on what they believe will be more effective and safe. Due to wearable technology being able to analyse and measure different aspects of the body, such as breathing, heart rate, sleeping patterns, and walking distance, etc. , players are now able to adjust their technique to improve their results. For example, the Dufour-Lapointe sisters, Winter Olympic skiing champions, wear Hexoskin, a wearable technology that tracks an athlete’s breathing and heart rate with an eye to improving performance. Their coach, Paul Gagne, focuses on their breathing, especially when doing jumps as it can determine the size and performance of the jump. They were able to see that when they weren’t breathing correctly, they were jumping shorter. The Hexoskin enabled them to see that and adjust, whereas without it, the coach wouldn’t have been able to see it. Being aware of the problem, she fixed her breathing and, in turn, jumped 3-4 inches higher.

Technology has the ability to see where players are struggling and where they are finding it easy. For example, if one was to do an 11-kilometre run, technology has advanced so much that trainers are able to see where on the run they are struggling, like going up steep hills, and what they find easy, such as going around corners and the ability to maintain a certain speed throughout their run. By using wearable technology, trainers are able to be informed of the players’ weaknesses and strengths. They can then take that information into training sessions where they can practise and work on their struggles. Being given this information helps coaches change the sportsman’s/woman’s intensity, time and type, throughout their training. Furthermore enabling players to excel in all areas and situations when it comes to competing as they have worked on various aspects of their fitness in a vast area of situations. This will put them ahead of the competitors due to their enhancement in performance. Wearable technology has enhanced performance in various aspects such as changing technique, preventing injury, and focusing on players weaknesses during training. We can see through multiple examples that wearable technology is important as it enables each sportsman/sportswoman to be their best selves while competing. Through watching the videos on wearable technology, it is evident that wearable technology is important as it allows players to heal their injuries but to also enhance performance by improving fitness without injuring themselves.

There are various forms of technology throughout the world in various different sports. Technology is used to enhance performance as everyone wants an advantage, so they can win and be the all famous gold medallist. Swimming is a very competitive sport that must be heavily monitored. In fact, there are usually cameras located around the swimming pool with multiple timers and sensors11 to ensure accurate times are measured. A lot of technology is there to maintain fairness among all competitors. However, there is technology that is specifically made for the competitors to enhance their performance in their specific sport. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 25 new swimming world records were set. . . all because of the new LZR Swimsuit. The only Olympics at which more records were broken was in 1976, when goggles were introduced for the first time. The LZR Racer is a famous competition swimsuit that was worn in 2008 Olympics and opened up a whole new world of performance enhancements technology. Swimmers have always gone to great lengths to reduce drag in the water.

They shave all their body hair, they use sleek swimming caps, etc. However, the new swimsuits took these measures a whole lot further. Although all swimwear that was used when competing was tight, for more streamline and less drag, swimmers were so competitive they seeked an upper-hand and wanted something new that no one else had. As records were harder to beat, they wanted it more, pushing their need for a new innovation. To think outside the box, for three years, Speedo collaborated with scientists from NASA, universities, and sport institutes, and experimented with over 60 materials. “Lots of conversation was had around wild and wacky ideas,” stated Joe Santry, Speedo’s Aqualab manager in England. “Some of the initial sketch concepts brought to the table looked like a superhero suit with a sleek cap, goggle, and suit combination that wouldn’t look out of place in a Marvel comic. ” After all the contribution of ideas, money, and time, a revolutionary and record-breaking swimwear was introduced that minimises drag, maximises muscle support to the swimmer and increases the flexibility allowing the swimmers to not be restricted. The swimwear is/was manufactured by Speedo, using high-tech fabric composed of woven elastane-nylon and polyurethane. The wind-tunnel testing in NASA’s Research Centre contributed in the development in the swimsuit. They proved which materials and seems were best at reducing drag as a swimmer cuts through the water. The new swimwear enhances the swimmer’s performance by delivering full body compression which engineers the body into a streamlined, hydrodynamic shape while providing support for a faster swim. It also increases water repellence by 40%, and at least 25% less drag than any previous swimming costumes. Due to this revolutionary innovation, swimmers are able to swim faster than ever before as the LZR Racer allows the racers to swim without slowing down as much due to friction of water on the skin and swimwear. The drag is reduced by providing a textured surface, similar to shark skin, allowing water to slide past without slowing the swimmer down. Buoyancy is a key factor in swimming. The swimsuit trapped air within itself, enabling the swimmers to be higher in the water, allowing them to focus their effort on horizontal propulsion.

Furthermore, it is important that the body comes out of the water as much as possible as the drag on the human body moving in water is around 780 times larger than the drag when moving in air, therefore, there is a large advantage when more of the body is above water. The difference that the swimwear made is immense. We can see that through the number of records that were broken in the 2008 Olympic Games. Michael Phelps set new world records in 7 out of his 8 events at Beijing while wearing the suit, however, he later applauded its ban. Records were not only broken, they were smashed by huge margins instead of following a steady historical progression. We can see that the swimsuit enhanced performance so much that it was banned during the 2009 World Aquatics Championships on the 24th July. The new FINA rules that was put in place in 2010, states that only textile suits with minimal coverage is allowed, meaning the full body low-drag polyurethane swimsuits are banned. We can see that this form of technology has enhanced performance so much that, to most, it is unfair and puts a disadvantage on the swimmers who are unable to afford the latest, more advanced LZR swimsuit, therefore, it was banned. In fact, the world’s best swimmer, Michael Phelps, stated, via his coach, Bob Bowman, that he is considering not taking part in all the future international competitions where the new suits would be allowed because it is “distorting the sport. ”This type of technology uses its surrounding environment and the swimmer to enhance success and performance through the use of special materials.

A lot of technology can be transferred into other sports, for example, the material used in baseball bats can be used among other sports such as softball. However, this certain technology is specialised in swimming and cannot be used among other sports. The LZR Racer swimsuit was created specifically for swimmers to assist them in keeping good form and allowing them to be ahead of everyone else, literally. Especially nowadays, many sports incorporate various forms of technology that enhances performance. I believe it is good that innovative ideas are always being brought to life, however, I think it is important to ensure that all competitors should have the same chance as all the others. I also think that any form of technology needs to be discussed and thought through before being released because a lot of people don’t always have the same opportunities as others. Regardless of whether someone has access to advanced technology or not, sport isn’t about who has the best technology, it is about competing against others in the sport you love. The Olympics is about representing your country and trying your hardest to push yourself to win, not to get the best swimsuit and beat everyone else that way– that isn’t right.