Citius, altius, fortius

2003/01/05 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Materialak
• Teknologia

Swimsuits have been substantially modified, as if not, these swimsuits like shark bark.

The change has occurred in a few years. Even if it seems a lie, in the 1980s, South African Zola Budd, in mid-distance races, cured all the marks of the hour and ran barefoot!
Currently, they wear shoes suitable to the activity and whims of athletes. They are custom made and
equipped with air chambers, ventilation system, etc.

The evolution of the garments has also been spectacular. Instead of previous cotton t-shirts and breeches, they wear sweat-wicking fabrics. The design has changed radically: to facilitate movements and reduce friction, they are elastic and adapt to the body. In addition, as for their appearance, they are directly related to fashion, sometimes the sportsman himself fashions a dress. High level athletes are stars of society.

And so they take care. Physiology studies the functioning of the body and dietary influence of food on health. All this applied to sport, allows athletes to train and feed better than ever. Thanks to this, it adapts to the sport that the body of athletes does, they are told which muscle they should work and what they should drink and eat to achieve the maximum performance. Sensors attached to the body can measure not only heart pulsations, but also blood parameters such as the response of each athlete's body. Moreover, the athlete can see these measurements on the monitor he wears on the wrist.

The influence of technological progress is detected when it comes to materials, footwear, technique, etc.

Research aimed at astronauts has also been applied in sport. Special meals and drinks prepared for astronauts are ideal for carrying all the necessary energy in little space.

Like on earth, in water

Cutting-edge systems are also
used to improve the technique. There is the possibility of capturing and inerting the movements of athletes in images, to then tune them and correct them. The same is done in shooting sports, where you can track the trajectory of the device and detect errors in the launch.

All sports where tools are used have undergone changes. New materials have been created, making tools lighter, more flexible, aerodynamic or more resistant than before. On bicycles, for example, evolution is remarkable. Thanks to this, cyclists travel more kilometers a day, go faster and to get it do not have to make more effort.

In addition, concerned about the health of cyclists, they have developed special design seats. According to medical studies, many cyclists have problems in the reproductive system; friction against the seat causes inflammation, loss of sensitivity and sexual problems. To avoid this, they have removed the parts that are in contact with the nerves and veins of the reproductive device and have created a special seat.

And while it seems difficult to change something in the pools, they are now designed to prevent wave interference. In addition, to accelerate turns, the walls are less slippery than before. Bathing clothes have also been renovated. When Ian Thorpe achieved the record in the Olympic Games, he wore a swimsuit in the shape of shark skin, a model that has been used by several users and that is why he will not be able to break any record.

Air chamber, special structure, ventilation system… what do not the current shoes have?

This is precisely the path that technological advances follow: designed for elite athletes, who are within reach of everyone. Undoubtedly, they are good toys for the demanding weekend sportsman. And if everything is so, sometimes it is also expensive. But you earn in motivation.

Ball and ball remain round

In football, the ball, the boots, the clothes, the field, the technique... almost everything has changed. The game of hatred against the referee and the opportunity of the mockery are the only ones that remain: that this is a penalty, that has missed the other and, above all, when he has put the goal when it was out of play... Now in Germany the way to end the debate has been invented.

To know at all times the exact location of the players and the ball a microwave based system has been presented. Each player carries a credit card size microwave transmitter in the sock, leg back protector, while the ball carries inside another transmitter the size of a bean grain. Each transmitter sends hundreds of signals per second to be received via 10 antennas.

All this data is collected on a computer. Thus, at every moment you can know where both the players and the ball are, and as soon as the play takes place outside the game the alarm is turned on, but will not that remove salt and pepper to the football?

Athletes have become stars of society, and their clothing and appearance are fashionable.

The impact of technology on the ball has been different. Despite being a traditional sport,
the changes have been gradually. For example, plastic baskets are used on the lift and in the tip basket and the hand ball has also evolved. The current ones have a heart of polypropylene or latex, and I know the duration of the ball by hand of the craftsman. Many believe that the ball must be homologated, although many believe that the game would lose charm without the ball selection. However, the UPV/EHU has a project for the development of the polymer ball. As one would say: We were born to see eleven!

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