Science Headlines - Countdown to the Olympics

Science Headlines - Countdown to the Olympics

7 August 2007

An information service for media in New Zealand

On 8 August 2008, the Beijing Olympics will begin. Our elite athletes have a year of hard training ahead of them. Below, New Zealand scientists talk about digital doppelgangers boosting performance; designing the perfect sports drink; the dangers of ‘burnout’ and the benefits of ‘living high and training low’.

1. Dr Alan Walmsley, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics at Massey University’s Institute of Food Nutrition and Human Health
Phone (work): 04 801 2794
Email: a.walmsley@massey.ac.nz
Website: http://ifnhh.massey.ac.nz/staff/staffmember/staffmember.aspx?id=293

"Sport biomechanics looks at the ways athletes move, and tries to understand the forces produced when they're achieving the performances we all like to watch or emulate.

"The traditional approach uses high-speed video analysis to measure motion teamed with instruments like force plates to measure the forces an athlete exerts on the ground. This has produced excellent results, but the athletes are usually restricted to the lab.

"Recently, my research team has begun using inertial motion sensors (IMS) to monitor an athlete's movement in a natural setting. The athlete wears an IMS on each of the body segments we're interested in monitoring. They’re about the size of a matchbox and contain instruments that measure acceleration, rotation, and heading relative to the Earth's magnetic field. Using software that fuses the data streams from the IMS, video-capture and GPS, as well as in-shoe pressure sensors, we can make measurements of a sportsperson's motion and the forces they exert and encounter. So instead of monitoring a slalom skier going through a gate in isolation for example, we can make a detailed analysis of their performance down the whole run.

"With this kind of technology, we can really understand how a good performance differs from an excellent one, and can develop ways to guide, and hopefully optimise an athlete's progress.

“An exciting development is using this data to generate an avatar: an animated replica of the athlete being analysed. Changing the data controlling the avatar alters its on-screen performance, so we can show the athlete the results of changes they can make. So in the case of a skier, we can use the avatar to show them how changing the pressure differential between their skis will allow them to shape their trajectory through a gate to optimise speed."

2. Dr Jim Cotter, endurance athlete and lecturer at the School of Physical Education, University of Otago
Phone: 03 479 9109
Email: jcotter@pooka.otago.ac.nz
Website: http://www.otago.ac.nz/profiles/staff/jimcotter.html

“For anyone exercising - from elite athletes to weekend joggers, being properly hydrated is important; it holds off fatigue, probably by keeping your body temperature and heart rate low.

"Elite athletes dehydrate on a daily basis and have to deal with high sweat losses from hard training or extreme conditions. The body loses water and salts; more water than electrolytes, which makes the body fluid volume smaller and more concentrated. Receptors in arteries and the brain detect the loss of volume and increased saltiness, and adjust sweating, thirst, kidney function and cardiovascular function accordingly.

“The best rehydrating fluid for elite athletes varies according to who's drinking it and when - so it is important that athletes understand their individual needs. We’ve been researching ways to get the body to retain the fluid for longer before exercise. A combination of sodium-based salts which mimics the body's own sodium-laden fluid compartment outside cells keeps blood volume higher going into exercise. This helps to limit rises in body temperature and heart rate in exercise, and even limits the rate of urine production.

"We still need to find answers to some basic issues: are those who are fitter more tolerant of dehydration? Are their bodies adapting? Early data indicate that they could be. We want to understand why the fastest athletes are typically those who dehydrate most in competition; when they should be the most adversely affected. Maybe the fact that they already have up to 70% more blood than sedentary people helps stave off effects of dehydration.”

3. Sports psychologist, Dr Scott Cresswell is a consultant to Yachting New Zealand's Olympic team, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Auckland. He also holds a research position in the School of Human Movement and Exercise at the University Of Western Australia.
Email: scottc@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Website: http://www.hmes.uwa.edu.au/about/staff/psychology?p=97743

“The term 'burnout' is heard a lot, so it's not surprising there are a number of misconceptions about its exact meaning. Burnout is more than just extreme physical exhaustion - it's actually a syndrome, or collection of characteristics. The three central ones are: emotional and physical exhaustion, a sense of reduced accomplishment and a devaluation of the athlete's involvement in their sport. Burnout syndrome happens when these feelings endure - rather than being a short term blip, like the morning after losing an important game.

“Burnout is an important issue in sport because it is associated with athletes leaving sport, decreases in performance, serious social issues as well as negative health and welfare outcomes.

“Over the past five years my research has focused on professional rugby players in New Zealand and England. Comparing these two environments has enabled me to identify factors that can contribute to player burnout. These include cumulative and heavy playing/training demands, injury, inflexible and changing time demands, poor performance and non-selection.

“I am currently evaluating a player programme to prevent burnout. It’s being trialed this season with two professional teams in England. I have focused on helping players to develop ways of dealing with factors that can cause the syndrome. The results will be known at the end of the season, and it's hoped that the contents of this programme, along with changes in player management and skill development for coaches and support personnel, will reduce the incidence of player burnout.”

4. Professor Will Hopkins holds the Chair in Exercise Science at the Institute of Sport and Recreation Research New Zealand, AUT University. His areas of interest are: competitive sport performance, exercise physiology, and research design and analysis.

ends

© Scoop Media