EDITOR’s NOTE: This article was published in the form of two-part series exploring the role technology has come to play in sports. We have merged both parts to publish it on the digital platform.
We are living in the age of Science & Technology, both of which have become indispensable for our daily lives. Digital screen where we watch sports events at home or office, protective equipment used in games, monitors to keep track of vitals, sensors or chips to monitor and track a player’s performance, video recordings or biofeedback to polish skills of players, analysis tools — all of these are different forms of technology that we cannot do without any more.
New technological innovations are born daily and those are bringing about a drastic change in sports coaching, training and rehabilitation too. Broadly speaking, the world of sports is continuously changing. As I closely work with athletes of different games/sports, one common question on the mind of all is: “How to increase or maximise performance?”
For the Tokyo Olympics** — if they do take place in July-Aug this year — Indian athletes are preparing hard and pushing their limits with the latest technology available, learning new skills, techniques, flexibility, strength, stamina and speed. Along with this, players are always on the lookout for something that would help prevent injuries.
With newer technology, players can take advantage of deep, small and intrinsic muscles’ physiologic properties, in a way that improves force transmission to the environment, modelling and simulation techniques for advanced biofeedback training, equipment optimisation and injury prevention.
However, not enough is commonly known about the role technology plays at every Olympics in setting new records. Here, I am going to talk about tech interventions that have helped scale up performances in a few key sport disciplines.
Tennis
Over the years, racquet technology has evolved rapidly as one of the key factors influencing a player’s performance. Broadly, racquet science innovation can be divided into three eras — wooden, steel/ aluminium and graphite.
In the 1970s, wooden racquets were the most preferred. They were heavy with very small sweet spots. The first popular metal racquet was T2000, which was stronger and lighter with longer lifespan and weighed approx. 350 gm.
Important qualities required of racquet material are stiffness and light weight with durability, hence graphite became the best option subsequently. Graphite racquet was first used in the 1980s and it weighed around 350 gm. But now, they come as light as 200 gm.
The size and shape of a racquet is important in this game of spin and power. Standard racquet heads in the region of 100 square inches or more have more sweet spots, which help generate a lot more top spin, contributing to the modern style of power tennis. With racquets getting lighter by the day, players are able to swing the racquet at a faster pace than before, generating higher impact speeds and faster ball speeds.
Lightweight racquets with proper shape also help reduce the most common injuries among players around their elbows, thereby enhancing their performance.
Other important technological innovations used in tennis include the Hawk-Eye Line-Calling System 2001, an electronic computer system that tracks the trajectory of the ball and displays its path as a moving 3D image by using high-performance cameras, and Radar Guns 1991, an IBM-serve speed technology, which has two radar sensors at the baseline of each side of the court to record the speed of the ball.
An interesting upcoming innovation comprises ‘smart racquets’, developed by Babolat, one of the leading tennis equipment manufacturers. These racquets will have computer technology built into the handle to store data and pick up minute details such as reasons behind a wide shot or a balling hitting the net.
Swimming
The maximum speed of a swimmer can be measured by calculating the balance of propulsion generated by the swimmer and the resistance forces in water like friction, wave and pressure.
When the Olympic Games began in 1896, swimsuits were made of wool and almost covered the body. These suits were quite troublesome as they would get heavier in water, and would get heavier still as swimming progressed. Later, some changes were made with better understanding of hydrodynamic forces.
Then, Fastskin biometric material was introduced, which mimicked dermal denticles of the shark skin that reduces friction more effectively as compared to smooth human skin. Later, Speedo developed the LZR suit, which was specifically designed to reduce friction and increase the performance using fluid dynamics. Besides, swimsuits were made to provide compression in specific areas like the abdomen, which ultimately increased the buoyancy of swimmers.
When introduced in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the LZR had a tremendous impact on the competition results. Nearly 94% of races won and 98% of records broken were by competitors wearing the LZR suit.
The most significant contributor to the increase in swimming performance has been the new swimsuit engineered with ultra lightweight, water repellent, flexible fabric with ultrasonic welded seams to reduce frictional forces and contoured panels to compress the body to assist the swimmer in keeping the optimal body position in water.
Athletics
Technological advancements in running tracks have been designed to specifically maximize speed and reduce injuries.
One of the best examples is the “tuned track”, which was designed to take advantage of the spring-like intrinsic muscle properties of the leg during running. Earlier, it was assumed that harder surfaces were faster than softer surfaces, and it was well known that soft surfaces tended to increase foot contact time, with contact time being inversely proportional to speed.
However, backed by research, the idea of a tuned track was introduced to provide faster running speeds by decreasing foot contact time and increasing step length. A tuned track may produce greater benefits for longer running tournaments as it shortens the foot contact time and gives greater stride length.
The chip technology, introduced a few years ago to supplement traditional race timing techniques all over the world, is now used by runners, bikers, tri-athletes, and others to keep track of timing using sensors, which give accurate results on performance. Chip timing system requires players to wear a small, lightweight chip on the shoe lace or an ankle bracelet, which records the performance and mechanics of techniques when they run on electronic mats.
High resolution photo finish equipment captures around 3,000 photos /second when running on the track, which helps in understanding the biomechanics of running. The analysis of these photos helps in improving performance even to prevent or treat injuries.
For athletes, there are innovations even in footwear and clothing. Lighter and flatter track shoes are designed to find the perfect balance of optimal grip and comfort for smooth running. Athletic apparel too has started to measure heart rate, respiratory activity, posture, speed and weight distribution.
Sensors are placed on the body of athletes or in their active wear with sensing fibres woven within, to track performance in real time. Every detail related to an athlete’s performance can be analysed — from respiratory rate to heart rate, hydration to temperature. These findings can help coaches determine each and every aspect related to a particular athlete’s performance. .
In 2017, ‘Halo headband’ technology was introduced, which prepares an athlete’s brain for training. Wearing the headband 20 minutes before a race can improve the brain’s ability to make new circuits, making athletes perform better and faster.
Cycling
In cycling, riders need to accelerate the crank against frictional and inertial loads. Hence, technological intervention in this sport has focused primarily on reducing aerodynamics drag in an effort to increase speed.
To identify the influence of equipment design on cycling performance during the hour record, Bassett et al developed a mathematical model to calculate the power output of former and current hour record holders, after adjusting for differences in aerodynamic equipment and altitude. This model accounted for a number of factors, including speed, altitude, bicycle design, clothing, helmet design, body position, height, weight, track circumference and track surface.
Advancements in aerodynamics in bicycle design and equipment setup accounted for 60% of the increase in the hour record and physiological improvements accounted for 40% of the improvement. A number of research studies have been undertaken to improve cycling performance by changing various features in peddling motion through novel crank-pedal mechanisms and non-circular chairing shapes.
Virtual reality
During last decades, there have been significant advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology, especially within the development of 3D & 360 degree virtual environments. New smart technology allows for head mounted display of this environment which is user friendly
and cost effective, Training of various sports can take full advantage of the improved quality of operating systems and as a result, VR provides visual simulations and immersive, interactive environments. VR technology is becoming more popular with evident influence on collecting various physiological aspects, identifying and improving sensorimotor capabilities, replicating competition and environment situations where reaction time is critical, and developing skill acquisition.
Advanced Modelling and Simulation Techniques Biofeedback Training
Another way to improve athletic performance is through the use of computer simulators and biofeedback devices, which have been developed to allow athletes to train in realistic scenarios while providing essential feedback necessary to improve performance.
This technology has been used to enhance training in a number of sports, such as cycling and rowing, boxing, wrestling, cricket and many other disciplines.
Forward Dynamics Simulations
Complex musculoskeletal models and computer simulations are playing important role in sports biomechanics with applications, optimising equipments and technique to identifying potential injury mechanism, hence targeted rehabilitation and early return to sports.
Muscle-actuated forward dynamics simulations are particularly useful because they allow for the identification of causal relationships between the neural control inputs, specific neuromuscular and musculoskeletal properties, and task performance.
Such simulations allow us to investigate how specific muscles accelerate joints and segments, contribute to joint and tissue loading, and needed mechanical energetics. It can also be used to analyse how altered intrinsic muscle properties influence performance.
Eliminating Injuries
The most important collateral advantage of using technology in sports training and coaching is the drastic reduction in the incidences of injuries. Moreover, with the help of technology, potential injuries can now be anticipated and identified earlier. Other than tracking performance, improving techniques and performance, these advancements also help create less injury-prone environments on the field.
Rehabilitation
Advancement in technology is helping in rehabilitation of athletes post injury. Because of these innovations, players now don’t have to wait long to get back to their sports after sustaining an injury. Right from minimal invasive/ arthroscopic surgeries to early rehabilitation using in-depth knowledge of structure injured/ involved, the combination of its pathomechanics and physiology with new technology is giving excellent results.
For example, hydro-treadmill, bicycles (that eliminate the effect of gravity), machines which enhance blood circulation for faster healing and recovery, biofeedback and simulation techniques are some technological interventions being used to rehabilitate injured sportspersons and aid in their return to active sport in lesser time than before.
Technological vs Traditional
So far, we have discussed everything about technical advancement being practiced at present but to get the best result, it is always wise to combine our traditional way of training with new technology.
Take wrestling for example. Presently, Indian wrestlers, both men and women, have been leaving their footprints on the international platform, while some of them are actually top wrestlers in the world, holding world ranks as well. Earlier, wrestlers, known as pahalwans, used to practice in akhadas (a special wrestling arena) with their Guru.
If we closely look at the training/ coaching in the akhadas where pahalwans practice in a low muddy ground, which they prepare themselves as part of their warm up, we realise that even for strength training and conditioning, body weight is preferred over weight machines. Similarly, running on the rough ground is preferred over running on the treadmill post workout, and they prepare their own drinks to replenish themselves after intense exercise or practice.
Now, let me put some light on the science behind this traditional way of training in the mud. It works beautifully on the proprioception properties of weight bearing joints, strengthens ligaments which are the primary supportive structures of joints, and at the same time, mud keeps the body temperature under control.
In current times, if you closely observe the workout regime of fit professional players, you would realise that they largely use their body weight instead of machines or dumbbells for strength and conditioning. The question, therefore, arises if our traditional way of training was better or using all technical innovations?
The answer is, to get the best out of any player, one should combine our traditional concepts with new innovations. We have enough homegrown examples to prove this and I would mention only a few — World Champion boxer Mary Kom initially used to train in the valleys of Manipur, Arjuna awardee wrestler Bajrang Punia, who has won three medals at the World Wrestling Championships, trained in the akhadas, sprinter Hima Das, who is the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in an international track event, perfected her run in the rice fields of Assam.
**This article was published in the month of May-June, before the commencement of Tokyo Olympics 2020.
