Physiology in Sport
What is physiology in sport? Physiologists are trained in the science of how exercise affects the human body. These professionals measure the physiological demands of competitive sports and provide the coach or athlete with advice about training and competition. To understand the physiological demands of a sporting activity, physiologists use physiological measurements and analysis. The goal of this discipline is to increase the athlete’s performance, and improve the way he or she performs.
Performance analysts evaluate the movements of athletes to achieve specific velocities and distances covered. Their work complements that of the strength and conditioning staff. They help athletes achieve their optimum physical condition by measuring their strength, power, endurance, agility, and stability. Sports with high levels of physical contact have an added concern for injury prevention. Wearable technologies and GPS trackers make it possible for coaches to monitor and manage the intensity of an athlete’s performance.
What Is Physiology in Sport?
Performance analysis in sports is a critical aspect of sports science. It involves the analysis of the mechanical details of skills performed by athletes. This allows us to detect flaws in technique and track progress. We can also track changes during a player’s preparation or rehabilitation. Physiological analysis can help us understand how effective an athlete is against predetermined expectations. For example, in football, a coach may expect a certain percentage of passing completions and winger speed during the game.
The application of such methods has several applications in sport. First, it is important to determine the specific application of a given technique. Secondly, it is important to choose a tracking system that can quantify the locomotor characteristics of players in a variety of contexts. For example, tracking systems have helped practitioners evaluate the effects of training and competition on various physical factors. Then, they can apply a variety of other techniques to the same data.
Another important application of physiological analysis in sport is its ability to predict pacing strategies in athletes. Using aggregate parameters, such as the distance covered or percentage of time spent running, is not a reliable way to measure the physical output of athletes in team sports. Periods of high physical output are often executed by team sport athletes. Although, some researchers have used moving-minute-intervals to estimate peak running demands, these methods are typically arbitrarily chosen and focus on the rolling average.