Objective 1 Tick You must understand: How technology is used to enhance performance: 1. Fitness testing (body fat monitors & heart rate monitors) 2. Training aids (motion capture software to review performance, simulators to practice skills in a controlled environment) 3. Equipment (carbon fibre javelins can help gain inches on a throw, Formula 1 cars designed to be as aerodynamic as possible and have no excess weight) 4. Clothing and footwear (lightweight body armour to prevent injuries in rugby, full body swimsuits that cause less drag than skin so save milliseconds, football boots that improve the curl that can be applied when kicking the ball.) 5. Injury prevention and recovery (faster recovery times through use of specialist equipment) How technology is used to enhance game play: 1. Video refereeing (a referee in rugby will watch video replay on a TV monitor during the game to assist in making a decision) 2. ‘Hawk-Eye’ (used in tennis to determine if the ball was ‘out’) 3. Goal-line technology (to determine whether the ball has crossed the goal line in football) 4. ‘Hot spot’ (to determine whether the ball hit the bat or a pad in cricket) 5. Radio (officials using radio to communicate with each other during the game) 6. Stadiums (retractable roofs so that weather does not interfere with game play, under pitch heating to reduce the effect of snowy/icy conditions, different playing surfaces such as latest generation of artificial pitches) How technology is used to enhance spectatorship: 7. Stadiums (big screens at football matches, architecture eliminates the use of pillars to improve spectators view) 8. Officials (crowd able to hear referee decisions at rugby matches) 9. Commentary/punditry (e.g. more statistics available during play, graphics and software to enhance post-match commentary) 10. Television (e.g. HD TV/3D TV improves viewing experience, multi-screen through ‘red button’) 11. Internet (e.g. access team/club websites, social networking with players/fans, mobile phone apps allow you to monitor results on the go) What do I need to revise? Technology used to enhance performance Fitness Testing Body fat monitoring Generally speaking body fat does not aid performance in sport. Most top athletes monitor body fat and will try and keep body fat to a minimum. Body fat can be measured using skin fold callipers but the best way is hydrostatic underwater weighing. Different sports have different optimum weights, it is important that if you require more weight in sports such as rugby and boxing the extra weight is not fat. Monitoring body fat can improve performance. Heart rate monitors Heart rate monitors are used in many sports to monitor the heart rate of athletes. The results can have many benefits to enhance performance Different sports have different training Training Aids Training aids Training aids have been used in sport for many years to enhance performance. Training aids include: 1. Foam pits in Gymnastics 2. Somersault belts in trampolining 3. Bowling machines in cricket 4. Simulators in golf A modern training aid is motion capture software. This is where the movement of a performer is recorded in detail. This gives the coach vital information on the performer as it can highlight any weaknesses that could be changed to enhance performance. Motion capture software is used in many sports such as, tennis, football, cricket sprinting. It is very useful in sports that have complex movements like a golf swing. For example, when you swing the golf club, the software will slow down the movement so you can analyse every aspect of the swing. This will Equipment Equipment Technology has enhanced equipment which has improved performance in sport. Examples include: 5. Javelins are more aerodynamic which allows athletes to throw them further 6. Technology has made formula 1 cars more aerodynamic which makes them quicker 7. Golf clubs are designed to hit the ball further and be more accurate Clothing8. Table tennisand footwearbats are designed to grip the ball to allow more spin Clothing and footwear Technology has enhanced clothing and footwear for athletes. Sporting examples include: 1. Football boots: If we compare a football boot from today to that 20 years ago there is a massive difference. Modern boots are lighter, comfortable and are specifically designed for different surfaces, some boots are made to specifically to get more power and curl when kicking the ball 2. Hi tech swim suits: Swimmers often High technology swimsuits when competing to reduce drag when swimming in the water. Due to the enhances in technology there are strict guidelines on their use in competition 3. Rugby pads: Shoulder and chest pads used in rugby provide protection and reduce the chance of injury. Due to technology pads are much lighter and tighter fitting to allow the players to move more freely. Injury prevention and recovery Injury prevention and recovery Using specialist equipment has enhanced how athletes recover and prevent injury. 4. Cryosauna is a very cold sauna that reaches very low temperatures (-200°C) this allows the muscles to recover quicker and avoid inflammation. This allows the athlete to train harder and recover from games more quickly preventing overuse injuries. 5. Hydrotherapy is incorporated into post-exercise recovery regimes. The human body responds to water immersion with changes in the heart, blood flow, as well as core and muscle temperature. The changes in blood flow and temperature may have an effect on inflammation, immune function, muscle soreness and perception of fatigue. Technology used to enhance game play Video Refereeing Video referees are used in the sport of rugby league . The video referee will watch the match on a tv screen in a studio. They will have available many angles from different cameras to watch the match. If there is an incident such as a try and the match referee and touch judges are unsure of the decision, they can ask the video referee to look at the incident. They will then radio to the referee the correct decision. This enhances game play as it takes any doubt out of the referee’s mind and the correct decision is made which makes it fair. Hawk Eye Hawk -Eye is a computer system used in numerous sports such as cricket, tennis, Gaelic football, badminton, hurling, rugby union, association football and volleyball, to visually track the trajectory of the ball and display a profile of its statistically Goal Line Technology Goal line technology is used in football to see if the ball has crossed the goal line. Technology can make the decision very quickly and the referee and assistants get a message of the decision on their watch within 1 second. This enhances gameplay as the referee can make a correct and confident decision very quickly without stopping the game Hotspot Hot Spot is an infrared imaging system used in cricket to determine whether the ball has struck the batsman, bat or pad. Hot Spot requires two infra- red cameras on opposite sides of the ground above the field of play that are continuously recording an image. This allows umpires to make correct and confident decisions as it will highlight if the ball has come off a pad or bat when a player is caught out Radio Officials in many sports use radios to communicate. This allows officials to communicate effectively and quickly. During matches this is important as the crowd can make a lot of noise during the game. Linesman and referees in football will communicate through radio. This allows them to make decisions quickly and efficiently Stadiums Technology has benefited stadiums in many ways. Wimbledon has a fully retractable roof. This allows the game to be played in all conditions. Before the roof rain could postpone many matches Many premier league football stadiums have underground heating, this allows matches to be played in the snow and ice which would otherwise be cancelled Technology has improved playing surfaces, advances have meant that many artificial surfaces are good enough to play official matches. Widnes rugby league club play all their home matches on a artificial pitch. This allows them to play in all conditions on a near perfect surface Technology used to enhance spectatorship Stadiums Technology has benefited stadiums which enhance the experience of the spectator. Most big stadiums have expensive sound systems and big screens to watch replays and live referee decisions. This enhances the experience and enjoyment of watching live sport such a rugby league New stadiums have used technology to provide unrestricted viewing. Years ago, the stadium would be supported by big pillars which would obstruct viewing at live matches Officials Technology used by officials has enhanced the experience for the spectator. In sports such as rugby the officials have a mic which allows you to listen to the referee. They can hear their decisions and conversations with players. This gives the spectator a more dynamic experience Commentary and punditry Technology has allowed more statistics for the spectator to enjoy. In football matches the viewer is given a lot information and statistics about teams, players, goals etc. this gives the viewer knowledge and understanding. Managers must give post-match interviews to the television which adds additional interest Television Television Technology has improved the viewing experience. Televisions have a much better picture with some sports events shown in ultra HD. Technology has also allowed the red button feature which can allow the viewer to watch different events and sports at the same time. This was very popular during the Olympics as the viewer could watch a wide range of events during the day. Multi-screen also allows the viewer to watch two events at the same time.