The world got to see a whole new face of athlete preparation during the Paris Olympics 2024, where a largely shifted will had been seen from the traditional methods to more backing on sports science.
Modern-day athletes bank on advanced technologies and data analytics in optimizing both their training and recovery processes, illustrating the increasing dependency on sports science in today’s sports.
An Olympic silver medalist, for example, wears a heart rate monitor to track cardio data, which her physiotherapist and coach then use to help her decide on the daily training program. Sports Wearables play a crucial part here. The sports wearable ensures that the athlete gets optimal training without going over her limit to ensure recovery, thereby enhancing her prospects of repeating the feat of winning another medal.
An older table tennis player, who began tracking his heart rate for more than twenty years ago, is a good example of the role of sports science and usage of sports wearable technology in long athletic careers. He continuously uses data to tune his training in ways that have been instrumental in keeping him competitive.
Experts have chalked out a strength training schedule for an Olympic champion javelin thrower, targeting an increase of a certain percentage of his present power output. It is such a focussed program that even the ‘bar speed’—the speed at which a weightlifter lifts weights—will be monitored in an attempt to maximize his distance throw without losing any of his fleet-footedness.
Across disciplines, technology is being integrated as standard practice. Today, robots are sparring partners for the best athletes in table tennis and archery; specialized gear, such as stable jackets, helps shooters achieve better scores. Real-time analysis with Vo2 max and electrolyte balance gives an athlete a fair amount of return information on his physiology to make instant adjustments in his training and strategy.
There is also greater recognition of the fact that each system is different and thus requires personalized training and nutrition plans catering to specific body types and genetic factors. Considering the importance of sport nutrition, the Olympic Village at Paris 2024 gives athletes an access to a variety of cuisines and also has set up a restaurant that caters to the nutrition needs of the athletes.
Much effort is being put into the complete integration of sports science within the programs for athlete development. Regular assessments and screenings are performed to monitor the physical and nutritional status of the athletes, however wide acceptance of these methods is still not quite in place.
Yet, success cases among those who have embraced those new means made clear the real potential of sports science in making big differences in athletic performance.
The Sportz Planet – SportSci Summit 2024
The themes mooted at the Paris Olympics 2024 resonate with the sessions of the inaugural SportSci Summit organized by The Sportz Planet on June 22, 2024.
Experts shared and presented various aspects of sports physiology, sports psychology, sports biomechanics, sports nutrition, on-field emergency management and sports wearable technology. These issues were in sync with the new approaches we are able to see at Paris Olympics 2024 as here too the athletes used sports science to make the difference.
Key takeaways from the summit were on the lines of psychological conditioning, precise biomechanics, effective nutrition strategies and wearable tech in training. Other main pointers from the meet revolved around emergency response techniques and sports cardiology in athlete safety. Of course, these inspiring stories by elite athletes were motivation in themselves for the mere punctuation of dedication and resilience required to succeed in sports, thus reiterating the reason for a holistic approach to sports science.
As sports science evolves further, its effect on athlete performance, health, and safety will continue to increase and define the future of sports across the world.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
