Physics of Sports
Physics of Sports
A sport isn’t just about winning; it is also about strategy, how the game is played, and performance of the athletes. Physics is the last topic many people associate with sports. However, physics can be applied to every aspect of any sport, which is a study referred to as Sports Science. Components of this study include gravity, projectile motion, acceleration, force, vectors, etc. With new technology that physics in sports introduce, more possibilities of physical science can be used to overcome and push new limits. Olympians, the greatest of athletes throughout the world, have accepted sports science into their daily trainings. Applying these principles to their exercise and understanding it increases health, well-being, and efficiency during their game. The initial research of sports science was to ensure energy levels and oxygen consumption to decrease fatigue and risks of injury (Hendricks). Latest in sports technology includes the RespiBelt. It acts as a free-weight made of elastic bands that strengthens breathing muscles. Breathing comes easy at rest, but as physical activity increase, breathing easily becomes uncomfortable. It is worn around the lower chest and ribcage, without restricting its range of motion. As the chest expands during breathing, RespiBelt creates a training load on those breathing muscles. Improved breathing muscles mean more oxygen reaches other muscles of the body more efficiently. This results in increased strength, power, and endurance. Results show 150% increases in breathing endurance, and a decrease in heart rates during testing (Olympic Medallists Train with Loughborough’s Breathing Aid, 1). Many Olympic track runners such as 10,000 meter silver medalist Galen Rupp of USA have trained with RespiBelt with outstanding progress.
U.S Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones has trained with a complex system in a Red Bull Project which involves extremely high speed cameras that measures and view her athletic
A sport isn’t just about winning; it is also about strategy, how the game is played, and performance of the athletes. Physics is the last topic many people associate with sports. However, physics can be applied to every aspect of any sport, which is a study referred to as Sports Science. Components of this study include gravity, projectile motion, acceleration, force, vectors, etc. With new technology that physics in sports introduce, more possibilities of physical science can be used to overcome and push new limits. Olympians, the greatest of athletes throughout the world, have accepted sports science into their daily trainings. Applying these principles to their exercise and understanding it increases health, well-being, and efficiency during their game. The initial research of sports science was to ensure energy levels and oxygen consumption to decrease fatigue and risks of injury (Hendricks). Latest in sports technology includes the RespiBelt. It acts as a free-weight made of elastic bands that strengthens breathing muscles. Breathing comes easy at rest, but as physical activity increase, breathing easily becomes uncomfortable. It is worn around the lower chest and ribcage, without restricting its range of motion. As the chest expands during breathing, RespiBelt creates a training load on those breathing muscles. Improved breathing muscles mean more oxygen reaches other muscles of the body more efficiently. This results in increased strength, power, and endurance. Results show 150% increases in breathing endurance, and a decrease in heart rates during testing (Olympic Medallists Train with Loughborough’s Breathing Aid, 1). Many Olympic track runners such as 10,000 meter silver medalist Galen Rupp of USA have trained with RespiBelt with outstanding progress.
U.S Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones has trained with a complex system in a Red Bull Project which involves extremely high speed cameras that measures and view her athletic