At first, it may seem that sports and technology have no relationship, however, society does not know how to live without technology, and that applies to sports as well. Sport is a physical activity that has been around for many years, but over time it has adapted to the demands of the moment, and, currently, technology in sports is increasingly broader and more relevant. Technological innovation has been adapted to sport, offering new tools to facilitate its practice. So much so, that it has become a requirement for the sports industry, and many professionals are researching and working to create a much more current and innovative sport.
But, specifically, what can this technology be used for in sports? Innovation in sports changes the way we train, compete, and even the health of athletes. All these new advances range from new fabrics or footwear to new sports instruments that become the best friends of coaches and professionals. Another strong point is that these systems can also be applied in the prevention and diagnosis of sports injuries, and even medically for their treatment. Sports innovation is a reality, and it is beginning to be seen in new technological advances such as the ones we are going to develop below.
6 technological advances in sports
Thermography
One of the new technological advances applied to sports is thermography. This is a thermal infrared technique, as its name suggests, to obtain information about the thermal response of the athlete. Using sports thermography, body temperature can be measured in a non-invasive way to evaluate the performance of athletes and prevent injuries.
Two of the benefits of thermology in sports are recognizing muscle imbalances or monitoring injuries and joints improving the performance of athletes and increasing results. Using this tool, data can be obtained in a quick and non-invasive way about the physical condition of athletes.
Nanotechnology
Another of the great advances in the world of sports is nanotechnology. Nanotechnology allows us to act on the molecular structure of certain elements such as carbon to create tubes much thinner than human hair, lighter and much more solid than we think. This type of technology has been used to create much lighter and more manageable sports instruments, such as tennis rackets, bicycles, or golf clubs. It is even an advance in the world of prostheses for athletes.
Its main functionality is to create tools that are much lighter to handle, but strong and resistant at the same time. Within the world of clothing, it is used to make swimsuits that increase performance or socks that eliminate bacteria that cause bad odor.
Player tracking systems
For professional sports, one of the great innovations is player tracking systems. These systems help you establish the position of the players and offer a lot of useful information in multiplayer sports such as basketball or soccer. This tool allows you to better understand the way players play and make decisions in real-time. These systems also allow you to control and reduce the chances of injuries, since you can observe the level of effort and physical stress of athletes depending on position, speed, or intensity.
Video and sensor systems
In professional and entertainment sports, new video systems are essential. Tools like VAR for football meant a brutal change in the game and maximum control of refereeing or hawk eye in tennis.
The use of sensors is also another of the innovative tools in the world of sports, although it has been applied for a few years. The use of sensors in sports materials such as sneakers or balls is common. This technology allows you to know real-time data on power, acceleration, heart rate, and speed… which offers an improvement in training. These types of devices are well known in the market as smart watches, although in professional sports they would be applied in other formats.
Smart sportswear
In the world of sports, clothing is very important and technology has reached it to improve it. In this sense, intelligent and personalized clothing items have been created for each person, to allow better efficiency and resistance. From tailored sportswear, with fabrics specially created for better breathability to gloves or socks created specifically for better grip. Everything to facilitate sports activity.
In addition to fabrics that help with heat, sweat, and thermal sensation, fabrics have also been created for the cold. Fabrics with technology that helps with heat, are waterproof and windproof, great allies for high-altitude athletes such as mountaineers or climbers.
smart stadiums
User experience has become a requirement for sports and ensuring that fans enjoy their favorite team comfortably. The main ally in this situation is technology. It is more common to see large stadiums that look like monuments and these stadiums are increasingly technological. We are entering an era where enjoying sport can be done in the most digital way possible. From paying with smart cashless credits to seeing your seat area before purchasing your ticket in 360° and 3D.
