The Positive Effects Of Sports Technology

In performance:

Equipment is easier to use

Almost all equipment in high level sport has improved or changed over time. Some clear examples of changes are in javelin. In the past the javelin’s centre of gravity was 4 centimeters towards the end of the javelin which meant that it was easier to throw a longer distance than it is now because the front of the javelin didn’t drop as much as it does these days. Because of the technology that has been researched, people are slowly creeping towards being able to throw distances that were previously thrown when the centre of gravity was near the end of the javelin. In the past, javelins were made from aluminum but now they are made from carbon fiber which is more aerodynamic so it can glide through the air better.

Another piece of equipment that has also been improved are tennis rackets. In the Victorian times tennis rackets were made from wood which made them heavy so they couldn’t generate that much power, then in 1957 the first metal racket was introduced which made the performers able to hit the ball harder and it was lighter than the wooden racket. Then in 1980 the first carbon fiber racket was introduced which was lighter than the aluminum racket. Today rackets are still made from carbon fiber but because the technology has evolved, the racket is lighter, stronger and has a bigger hitting area, therefore the performer can swing faster and hit the ball harder making the ball move faster.

Another piece of equipment that has also improved over time due to technology are bicycles for cycling. Back when people cycled in the old days the bikes front wheel was as big as them and you had to push them the get going. This wasted energy and because they were made of steel, they were also heavier and slower which meant you needed, again, to use more energy to ride it. Today bikes are made from carbon fiber and they have flow visualization paint which makes them lighter, more aerodynamic and therefore faster. They also require less energy to use.

Reducing Injury

Technology has advanced in equipment to reduce the risk of injury so that we can perform to the best of our ability without having to worry about getting injured. For example, footwear has developed a lot over the years, in 1967 trainers were made from thick heavy leather and there wasn’t much padding which meant they weren’t very comfortable. They also had a very large collar on the back of the shoe which would rub against the Achilles. Today shoes are made with a lot of padding on the bottom which absorbs your weight and rebounds you which gives you an extra push, they is also a layer made a carbon fiber which makes it lighter and it helps stabilize the shoe which helps to reduce the risk of injury. They also make the backs with a dip in the collar so it doesn’t rub against your Achilles.

Another piece of technology that has advanced over the years is clothing. People used to go for runs wearing cloths made from cotton which absorbs moisture so when they started to sweat, the sweat would be absorbed by the cotton which then makes the top heavier so there is more weight to carry and it also starts to rub against your body and could lead to runner’s nipple. Today shirts are made from a Climacool material which gives more ventilation so the body can keep cool. It is also more comfortable which causes there to be less chaffing and it is also more aerodynamic.

Protective clothing has also seen a massive advancement in technology. People use to play with thick, heavy leather footballs which were harder to kick, and it would be very painful which cause injury. Today footballs have padding on them so that you can kick the ball without it hurting and they are lighter so you can kick them harder. Helmets didn’t exist in sport like hockey. They would just play without them which increases the percentage of getting injured significantly, however, today they have helmets with padding inside so that if you get hit it won’t cause as much harm and this decreases the percentage of getting injured significantly.

Recovery Time from Injury is Reduced

Technology to reduce injury time has seen massive increase of advancements. for example, the hyperbaric chamber was made in 1867 but it wasn’t till 1917 when they first used pumped pure oxygen. The hyperbaric chamber works by pumping pure oxygen into your red blood cells which then takes the pure oxygen to the muscles which helps them to recover faster.

Another way to help recover faster from injury is ultrasound treatment. This can be given by a physio and is where ultrasound is used on a specific damaged area e.g. muscles, tendons and soft tissue. The positive side of this is that it helps to reduce the time of the injury.

A hydrotherapy pool helps you to improve your blood circulation and it helps to massage the joints. It is used when you have a severe injury like a back pain or broken limbs, and it helps to take the pressure off of that limb while still being able to train so that you can keep up your level of fitness because the water takes your body’s weight.

Improved Training Aids

Technology in training aids has improved over the years. For example, the fit bit can help the performer before, during and after training by keeping track of working heart rate. This can help with your cardiovascular fitness by making sure you stay at a steady level. It can also give you motivation to do more exercise which can also help you to lose weight.

Player tracking technology can be used to help analyse how well you have played and where you can improve in your chosen sport. It also gives the performer immediate, real time feedback which is good because it monitors the amount of court or pitch that you have covered, as well as helping the performer to improve their technique. It also monitors tactics and evaluates them.

Possible injuries that can occur using this technology are soft tissue which can be treated using a wide range of training aids to ensure that performers get back to fitness as soon as possible.

Testing using specific training aids can impact on the length of a performers playing career. For example Gianluigi Buffon, Venus Williams and Wayne Rooney have all had long careers in their chosen sports as physios are able to treat injuries quicker to enable performers to return to their chosen sport in a shorter amount of time.

Those who have had injury problems may be monitored to ensure that the appropriate equipment is used to aid their recovery. Training can be adapted to ensure that fitness levels are maintained whilst ensuring that the injury is recovering but using different types of equipment.

In game play:

Enhances how the sport is played

Tennis has improved over the years by the quality of technology increasing, for example, rackets are now made of carbon fibre which makes them lighter, enabling the performer to strike the ball with more force/power. This speeds up the game time which makes it more intense, which in turn make the game more exciting to play and for spectators to watch. Fitness training levels need to be appropriate to ensure that the performer reaches their highest skill level possible.

Road running trainers have also improved over the years to give more comfort and support to the performer when running. For example Nike Vaporfly improves the performers time by around 4% for distance and track running but these have been found to be controversial because not all performers are able to afford these or have access to these due to sponsorship rules. They have also been found to push the boundaries of human capabilities in events such as marathon running where Kitchoge was able to run a sub-2 hour race.

Para-athletes’ Wheelchairs have also improved enormously over time as they have been designed for specific sports and are much lighter and more mobile that before. The wheels have been angled inwards which provides strength and control and the centre of gravity is lower. This allows the performer to have a higher performance level, moving more quickly and efficiently which helps them to conserve energy levels. The positive impact of this is that the game play is better and more exciting.

Increases competition

Video analysis is now used in most sports, eg football, to analyse player or team statistics. The analysis can be used to identify a football teams’ strengths and weaknesses as well as how they work as a team and their positioning during matches. This enables the manager to address any issues that are evident. It also allows an overlay of a perfect model over a current performance to analyse differences between players, for example how one player takes a shot in comparison to another player taking a shot. The manager/trainer is able to annotate the analysis and therefore give guidance and feedback on a performance.

It also enables teams to analyse opponents so that they are able to identify any strengths of the opposing team and also any weaknesses which they can then use to their advantage. This can have a positive effect on game play because it can help improve gameplay as they can use new tactics against their opponents.

Improves accuracy

Vitual Assisted Referee (VAR) technology is used to improve the accuracy and enhance gameplay in football. This is a positive technology as it improves the reliability of a fair decision which allows the players to know that it does not totally rely on the referee to make decisions which makes for a fairer game.

VAR allows replays to be seen and also to be displayed on big screens. It gives an instant response so that everyone is able to see the incident and ensure that the right decision is made. This also ensures accuracy and usually the right decision is made. Referees use microphone communication to talk to the VAR officials, as well as linesmen, to check to see if anyone has a better angle on the game which would enable the game to continue if the referee is unsure on a decision.

Quick decisions can be made using a variety of technology aids in sport. For example, in hockey they used goal line technology to see if the ball has gone over the goal line because the human eye cannot always accurately see this. In athletics they use a photo finish if there is any doubt as to who has won a race and in cricket they use DRS technology to enable the umpire to check for LBW if they are unsure.

VAR can increase the excitement for players and spectators when the referee refers to the VAR technology to make a decision. This can increase the tension in the stadium while waiting for the decision to be made. VAR also means that the competition is fairer because everyone is treated the same. It can detect handball, offside and also if the ball has gone over the sidelines.

In spectatorship:

Increased fan base

Technology can have a positive effect on a fan base because it allows fans to keep up to date with what is going on in the club or with the performer they support. For example, websites allow them to see highlights and footage of the sport. It also allows them to review players statistics analysis such as the average time between goals, saves or assists. Social media allows them to ‘follow’ what is happening with their team/performer and keeps them up to date with any changes or breaking news.

By keeping up to date with what is happening and upcoming events, spectators will be able to make plans to attend/watch any games that are happening.

See all of the action

Pitch Cam is a technology that allows an overhead image of an action in a big stadia as it have good angles of the pitch. Another way of seeing all of the action is the use of TVs, tablets and phones to watch the replays they have missed and to check highlights. This gives a positive effect on spectatorship because it allows them to still have a good idea as to what has happened and helps the spectators to avoid missing any of the action during gameplay.

Stadia are designed so that the spectators view is not obscured by pillars, they have a wide view of the playing area and seating which also allows them to see the full view. Some of the areas within the Stadia are better than others. The Stadia are also equipped with large screen TV’s to project a better view of the play as well as being able to show instant replays, slow motion and multiple angles of the play. They are also able to show freeze frame images and can provide the spectators with full information about a situation.

Slow motion can also be used in athletics to show a photo finish because spectators would not be able to identify who the winner was. It can also be used to show a correct/foul jump in long jump as you would be able to see if the performer overstepped the mark on the board before take-off. In cricket this can be useful to show no-balls, run outs, wides, boundary calls, catches etc.

Other positive effects:

Health care

Technology has enabled disabled performers to compete by using prosthetic limbs/blades which helps to increase participation and accessibility to a range of sporting events. This has made sport more inclusive. The limbs are now lighter and stronger as they are made from carbon fibre and the blades a very light and strong with increased spring/rebound which has a positive effect as it enhances performance. Wheelchair users are now able to compete in more events as technology progresses as wheelchairs become lighter and stronger and easier for the performer to manoeuvre.

Older performers can have replacement joints made from titanium to prolong their training and participation in events.

Transport

Technology has had a positive effect on transport over the years. F1 cars are now made from carbon fibre and are designed to be aerodynamic to ensure that they can reach the fastest possible speeds during races. This makes the sport more attractive to spectators as there is more risk during a race.

Bicycles are also now made from carbon fibre which has made them more accessible to everyone, not just the elite who could afford them, meaning that there are more amateurs cyclists.

Rowing has also been transformed by technology as boats become more steam-lined and lighter so that they glide through the water and are able to reach higher speeds during a race. Both individuals and teams are able to produce faster times more regularly.