Science of Sports: How Cutting-Edge Research Improves Athletes

The human body is designed not for comfort, but to move. We tend to forget the days when our forebears had to outrun predators or hunt big game with simple weapons. In athletics, however, being stronger or faster still comes down to survival of the fittest. 

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Today, sports scientists are seeking methods to make our bodies perform better. Here are some ways that modern research is improving physical performance.

Equipment Mechanics

Understanding our biomechanics goes along with optimizing the tools of each athlete for a particular sport. This is really a marriage of physiology with physics. Tennis players, for instance, must have the right length, weight, material, and string tension in their racquet for best performance.

Even swimmers want the most suitable cap, trunks, and even body-shaving technique for best performance. Success includes such simple strategies as selecting the right equipment, footwear, and clothing for optimal performance regarding body type and environment.

Nutrition

Without proper nutrition, intense training and prompt recovery would not be possible. A dietary program designed to optimize both requires the help of expert sports nutritionists. Diets must be healthy and at the same time customized to the individual and the sport.

A weight lifter, for instance, would want a diet higher in proteins, where a marathoner would want a diet higher in carbs to maintain energy and stamina. An athlete's diet may also have to be adjusted for medications or specific dietary supplements.

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Body Chemistry

We have come to understand that our ultimate physical potential is largely determined by genetics. Scientists can map out an athlete's essential performance characteristics, such as heart volume, lung capacity, muscle fibers, biochemistry, bone density, and much more.

This allows them to tailor diet and training programs to exploit strengths and overcome weaknesses. This requires laboratory analysis; those with proper medical lab training from clinical laboratory scientist programs online can play a big part in sports medicine and the future of athletics.

Wearables

New technologies help trainers and athletes fine tune their techniques through data. Sensors placed on the body and in equipment such as a baseball bat can capture data that helps players perfect their swing through software analysis. Monitoring devices can also be worn that capture continuous data on heartbeat, calories burned, and other vital signs to gauge training progress. Research into this data provides valuable insights.

Historic achievements in many sports continue to be surpassed because modern athletes have proven scientific research to draw on. Athletics has become both more scientific and more exciting.

By  Anica Oaks	Embed
Anica is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she's used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here.