4 minute read
New technologies like Virtual and Augmented reality will surely enrich sport fan experiences. Also, technological breakthrough improves athletes’ training and preparation stages. Sensors, medical innovations, implementation of VR and AR make sportsmen faster, stronger and even increase the stamina. These innovations attract more and more people to try on the skin of professional athlete. How sport in the future will look like? This article looks in the living and training of athletes.
Will genetics
predetermine success?
Before we will make an overview of innovations for particular sports, let’s see the medical breakthroughs that impact all athletes. To begin with, the most important base of any sport is the right nutrition and regular exercise. When it comes to food, we all know that one size doesn’t fit all. There is an enormous need to identify individual diet and pace for training for each athlete. Thanks to advances in genetic research and DNA testing, genetic performance protocols can help to build perfect nutrition and fitness sets. Companies offering DNA testing encourage to get insight on athletic strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, sports’ recruits turn to genetic testing when looking for new talents. The usefulness of such technique, concentration on specific genes of the athlete, has not been proven to be better than traditional talent hunt. According to a study by Lisa Guth and Steven Roth, “A favorable genetic profile, when combined with an optimal training environment, is important for elite athletic performance; however, few genes are consistently associated with elite athletic performance, and none are linked strongly enough to warrant their use in predicting athletic success.” There is an intensifying debate on the genetic recruit of the athletes. After all, sport is for reaching new heights not by the physical attributes but against them. Sports unite people and nations. Let’s hope that medical advances will enhance sports improving each athlete to perform his or hers best and provide equal acces to all desirous.
Neurocoaching
Sports achievements are predetermined for success by the regular training and muscles that exceptionally listen to tasks sent by brain. “Muscle memory is not in the muscles. It’s in the brain. Conventional wisdom wrongly characterizes strength as being solely powered by muscle function. But it’s also neural. “Learning” is accomplished both by improving motor neurons’ timing and through neurogenesis—growing new neural pathways. Consider the athlete who begins weight training; strength improvement occurs in the first two weeks, even though muscle growth isn’t much of a factor until the third week. It’s from brain learning, not muscle growth. Electrical stimulation of the neurons—tDCS—speeds up learning and improves neural drive.” —Daniel Chao, CEO of Halo Neuroscience.
Neurocoaching is directed to muscle synchrony stimulation. According to data, transcranial direct-current stimulation can gain 31% in power and 15% in[nbsp]endurance. In action it means brain stimulation through low and continues electrical current by electrodes placed on the scalp. This approach is the key unlocking the power, coordination, and stamina. Couple weeks of training help to collectively gather all needed muscles group with greater precision. Isn’t it a dream brain-trainer?
Immersive performance
training
Now let’s step into the training era of team sports. In football and rugby team play and knowledge of team strategy are the key to winning. The brain of the player is responsible for muscles and immediate reaction to the game of others. There is no better way to train the reaction and see the blind spots on the field as VR training. STRIVR creates a base for such training. Here is an example of one exercise:
Augmentation
makes game gamier
Continues repeated training might cause loss of interest and burnouts. While sport is considered to show a positive stress relief for amateurs and beginners, long and continues trainings can be a source of frustration for professional athletes. The phycological health of the athlete is a base for his or hers professional success. And nothing makes us more relaxed and entertained like gaming. iSquash has created an innovative fusion of sports and technology. iSquash implements augmented reality in the squash room enabling digital coaching that provides instant feedback. It is an outstanding tool for beginners and a valuable system for professional players. interactiveSquash is powered by a unique ball-tracking and projection system. The backwall is transformed into a gaming board with tiles and aims that can be used by single or pair players. The highly interactive environment helps to track and improve progress, scores, and accuracy.
