As he moves dots on a computer screen light up The cameras track the gray spheres They send this data to the computer The computer program draws the scene in 3D It connects the dots to form a skeleton Every tiny movement is tracked After a few pitches the athlete and a scientist study the data They look for areas for improvement They find the most efficient pitching motion Together they have turned raw data into a useful tool Their work is an example of sports science and technology in action 6 Smart Egg Sports scientists use a wide variety of technologies to help them do their jobs One high-tech tool is called a BOD POD It looks like a giant egg A person sits inside the pod The BOD POD measures changes in air volume and pressure It uses this information to estimate body volume and body weight These numbers show how dense a person’s body is Muscle is more dense than fat The BOD POD can estimate what percentage of a person’s body is made up of fat Knowing this can help athletes track how well they are meeting their fitness goals
without block upward force forward force starting block upward force forward force The Biomechanics of a Starting Block Biomechanists study the forces acting on an athlete They find ways athletes can use these forces to improve their performance This illustration shows a runner starting with and without the use of a starting block Which runner will be able to get a quicker start The scientist is a biomechanist Biomechanists study the forces that act on an athlete’s body They study how muscles and bones move Different 7
sports involve different movements A soccer player runs and kicks A baseball pitcher throws A football quarterback may run and throw at the same time A biomechanist can help guide an athlete’s training This can help athletes prevent new injuries Some biomechanists work for sporting goods manufacturers They design clothing and equipment Others work as consultants for teams They help athletes identify strengths and weaknesses They help correct 8 IN THE REAL WORLD Winning with Data Garrison Draper is the director of performance for the Philadelphia Union soccer team He works with the team’s coaches and sports scientists One of his job’s biggest challenges is making sure the team’s decisions are being driven by data In sports it is easy to follow tradition or culture Draper wants to follow the numbers instead This led him to a surprising discovery The team lost more frequently after traveling outside their time zone Knowing this his team made changes to help the players fight jet lag
A biomechanics student tests a new shoe on a plate that measures force problems The ultimate goal is to use science to help athletes win Many Sciences One Purpose Biomechanics is just one of the many branches of sports science and technology Each branch focuses 9
