ENTER- THE "TECHNO-PHYSIOLOGICAL" EVOLUTION

TECHNOLOGIES ROLE IN ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE!

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Futuristic Female Athlete ~UHP

 

 

The "Techno-Physiological Evolution"
 

A study (conducted in 2008; post Beijing Olympics) of 40,000 performances in summer sports from 1896 to 2008, suggests that athletic performances have been relatively stagnant since a peak in 1988.  The study, headed by Geoffroy Berthelot a specialist in informatics and algorithmics at the National Institute of Sports and Physical Education in Paris, openly admits that it's impossible to account for performance enhancing agents.  He also says that athletic doping has been and still is, a factor that cannot yet be accounted for...although, today athletes are tested more thoroughly and more often.  Also, the IOC is much more aware, or at least they acknowledge that doping is a part of sports.  In either case, athletes will look for an advantage regardless of the decade.

"No matter the sport you're looking at, there's still a limit," says Mr. Berthelot.

Findings of the study show that athletic records follow a "law of progression," which large gains are made when the sport is new.  Improvements become smaller as the sport matures, and athletes must work harder for incremental gains.  Nearly two-thirds of track and field events, for instance, appear to have reached this point over 15-20 years ago (over 60% of track and field records haven't changed since 1993).  The group conducting the study (and intending to piss me off, jk) indicates that those events are now close to the limits of human performance.

By contrast, swimming records are improving at an accelerated rate, the study authors write.  Although, that's in part to the advert in the past several years of more hydrodynamic swimsuits.  *Ironically enough, the London 2012 Olympics where these suits were banned and records expected to remain intact, saw records continue to be broken at an accelerated rate.  **I personally believe this to be in part to what I refer to as, "The Bannister Effect," once someone proves a feat to be attainable...others follow suit, simply because the know it's possible.

In any event...perhaps this is why we're increasingly seeking more competitive advantages from our athletic gear, as well as, technology!  The future athlete will be technologically alter in ways not yet conceivable, but in the meantime technology is playing a pivotal role in the equipment used by athletes on a regular basis today.

Bicycle of the Future!

Cycling' Technological Advances:
Arguably one of the most influential roles technology has played in athletics was with the introduction of carbon-fiber (strands of nearly microscopic polymer composites bonded by resins).  First, used in the making of bicycles to increase durability and decrease weight, carbon-fiber has crossed into many other genres of sport. 

In 1999, Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France on the Trek 5500 SL- a stock version of the updated 5500.  The bike weighted 18 pounds, in comparison, Miguel Indurain's 1993 Tour de France winning Pinarello tipped the scales at more than 22 pounds.  In cycling, a drop that significant feels closer to 4 tons than 4 pounds. 

Another more recent example was Oscar Pistorius at the London 2012 Olympic Games! 

Athletic Propulsion Labs; Load 'N Launch Technology Basketball Shoes:
The technology itself features a unique device that serves as a “launch pad” housed inside a cavity at the front of the shoe, which compresses (The “Load” phase) and then releases (The “Launch” phase) as the athlete exerts force on the front of the foot.  The patent pending Load ‘N Launch device is uniquely designed to capture the maximum amount of energy through the compression caused by exerting pressure on the forefoot and then releasing the energy through the propulsion and liftoff stage to increase vertical leap. The device works in unison with a high-pressure Thermoplastic Urethane shank that extends through the arch of the foot.  This serves to help stabilize the foot and efficiently transfer energy created by the athlete toward the area of the basketball shoe that impacts vertical leap.

How High Can You Jump?

Nikes Revolutionary Golf Ball:
The new Nike 20XI ball features a combination of proprietary technology never before seen in the golf industry, and is the result of four years of collaborative research and development between Nike Golf's golf ball engineers and a team of material and science experts at DuPont. The game-changing technology replaces conventional rubber cores with a radical new resin material. Resin is a highly neutralized polymer that’s faster and lighter material engineered to produce longer distance and more controlled shots.

Golf Tech...

Hockey Treadmills?...Really:
The Athletic Republic Hockey Treadmill (HTM); with its patented, specially lubricated, ice-like surface, trains hockey players to become more powerful and efficient skaters. Athletes train in their skates.

The HTM tilts to a 32% grade and reaches speeds up to 16 mph. Athletes can see themselves in a mirror and the trainer can stand next to them to coach improved skating mechanics.

This is Amazing! ~UltimateHumanPerformance

Scientific research proves that incline treadmill skating helps athletes produce more power on each stride versus rink skating. After just one Acceleration Hockey Training Program of 22-26 sessions over 6-8 weeks, athletes enhance their break away speed, develop quicker cuts, improve their power in the first three strides and gain overall conditioning.

 Translated to the ice, it all adds up to more shots on goal.

Training Technology:
Nike+ Fuelband- The NikeFuel counts all the activities of your athletic life. Running, walking, basketball. Nike+ devices measure your moves and turn them into NikeFuel. And since NikeFuel is calculated the same way for everyone, you can compare and compete with anyone.

Nike+ Fuelband

 

~Ultimate Human Performance