Could Technology Be More Important Than The Athletes Using It?

Sports have a greater prominence world wide than they have ever had before, and for many people, the only acceptable outcome is victory…no matter what the cost. There have been many cases of people doing unsavoury things to get an advantage, such as blood doping and even poisoning competitors before an event. As sporting bodies crack down on this type of rule-abuse however, many are turning to technology to improve their chances. Below are 3 of the main ways sports are benefiting from developments in technology.

Training Conditions. There used to be a time that you trained when and where you could. This might be in your back garden on the school sports hall if you were lucky. However, now elite athletes can train in special environmental simulation rooms to get into shape. In these rooms the trainers can vary temperature, air pressure, humidity, oxygen levels and whole host of other things using special equipment. This allows the replication of any environment, from altitude training to exercising in a very hot and humid country, and if you train in these conditions the body will adapt quite quickly.

Better Equipment. There has been a constant evolution of sporting equipment ever since people first started competing in events. Some sports have always relied on high tech accessories, whilst others have evolved into using them.Compare something as simple as swimming costumes to how they looked a couple of decades ago, or how advanced archery bows now look. Advances in technology and materials are arguable as important as the athlete training, and provide us with such amazing things as carbon fibre mountain bikes and hydrogen filled running shoes.

Monitoring Tools. One of the most important developments in sporting technology, and one that shouldn’t be overlooked, is our ability to very closely monitor athlete’s performances. This might be the study of ones metabolic rate during performance for example, or the videoing and replaying of performances at incredibly high frame rate and definition. A company in Australia have even developed pressure pads in surfboards that can relay information about a surfer’s board positions and balance. If you can isolate even the smallest problems in performance and correct them, you get an edge over your competition.