Sports science: Unlocking the secrets

Sports science is a rapidly growing area within the sports industry. It is a comprehensive study of the human body's reactions to various activities to increase performance. This multifaceted field combines all areas of athlete development to devise an effective strategy for success.

These disciplines include nutrition, psychology, strength and conditioning, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and sports medicine. Moreover, sports scientists merge technology from different disciplines to act as aides for performance enhancement.

Pre-match routine headed by a sports scientist (Image via Getty)

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Sports science as the performance coordinator

Picture a sports scientist as an "athlete performance co-ordinator." Under this coordination, a stepwise plan will be made to assess and train the athlete. To start, a thorough examination of the athlete must take place, relying on various metrics to quantify their performance. This includes technicalities like 1RM testing, tactical and technical skills mapping, and clinical assessments.

A strength and conditioning coach would then develop an exercise plan that follows the season cycle adapted to the pre-season, off-season, and in-season stages. The nutritionist will simultaneously work on developing a sound strategy for similar phases of the season, as well as pre-match, in-match, and post-match nutrition.

Nutrition to be taken on the field (Image via Getty)

To address any underlying issues, psychometric assessments of the athlete are performed by a psychologist. This means understanding the mental and emotional aspects that influence athletic performance. Sports psychologists team up with athletes to construct mental abilities such as goal-setting, visualization, and self-talk that can improve their performance.

Lastly, disciplines such as biomechanics and the use of technology act as refinement tools for the athlete. A tool that can point out minute discrepancies in their behavior on the field and help analyze what changes are needed. All of these specialties are combined under the periodization plan developed by the sports scientist. Below is an example of how sports science helps develop athletes.

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Communicating with the medical team

Sports science also pays attention to injury avoidance and the incorporation of sports medicine professionals such as physical therapists and doctors. Sports scientists monitor the athletes' workload, which involves calculating the amount of time they spend training and how strenuous it is. This allows the scientist to get an idea of the amount of work the athlete does on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

This is then combined with a clinical assessment from a sports medicine professional to determine if the athlete is training effectively or is overtraining. Overtraining is a huge risk factor for multiple injuries to athletes, so if the scientist notices overtraining, they will adjust the training volume and intensity and add recovery methods to prevent injuries.

Overtraining injuries present themselves differently (Image via Getty)

Not only this, but technology also plays a major part in developing athletes. There are many distinct types of technology that a sports scientist has access to. This includes wearable tech such as motion sensors, GPS, accelerometers, and virtual reality tech such as headsets, apparel, and different environments, as well as video and data analytics for sports science and performance markers.

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Conclusion

Sports science is a multifaceted subject that includes psychiatry, exercise physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, and psychology. The field hopes to sharpen an athlete's skills by recognizing the physical, mental, and physiological elements contributing to their performance. Sports science uses strength and conditioning training, nutrition, injury prevention, technology, and sports psychology to give athletes a competitive advantage.