Sport Engineering and Equipment Flashcards
Sport engineering
Application of Biomechanics, physics and material science to improve athletic performance and safety
Equipment Evolution Pole Vault
EARLY VAULTING POLES
- Made from stiff materials like bamboo, aluminum, or wood
- Limited performance: 1896 3.3m record (5.7 todays standard)
REVOLUTION OF FLEXIBLE POLES
- Fiberglass and later carbon fiber poles introduced
-1960s: world records increased by 60 cm as equipment and techniques improved
- Elasticity of poles and impact on technique
IMPACT OF INNOVATION
- Allowed for greater energy storage and release
- Athletes adapted techniques leading, to higher clearances
1972 Olympic Pole Ban
- IAAF banned the latest Cata-Pole version after East German protest
- Bob Seagren (world record holder) and others forced to use older poles
- Wolfgang Nordwig won gold
REGULATORY DECISION AND FAIRNESS
- IAAF changed reasoning: first claimed carbon fiber, then cited availability
- No existing rule banned the new poles
LESSIONS FOR SPORT ENGINEERS
- Innovation must consider governing body regulations
- Equipment decisions can influence competition outcomes beyond athletic performance
High Tech Swim wear fabrics
- 2008-2009 over 130 world records broken
- Key suits: fastskin, lift suit, submarine
- Debut: First introduced at the 2000 sydney Olympic
- Performance impact: Reduced drag and increased swimming velocity by 2%
- Design Features: reduced friction and surface drag, compression at key points to streamline the body and further reduced drag
LZR Racer “super suit”
- Speedo’s LZR racer was too much of a good thing
- In 2010, FINA banned non-textile suits to restore fairness
- Example of governing bodies limiting technology to maintain competition integrity
Speed Skating: Clap Skates: Innovation, adoption, performance impact, biomechanical findings, speed increase
- Invention and adoption: the clap skate was invented in the early 1980s by Dutch biomechansit Gerrit Jan van Igen Schenau but gained serious attention in the late 1990s
- Design innovation: a hinge near the toes allowed plantar flexion during push-off, improving efficiency
- Performance Impact: First widely used by the dutch women team in 1996/97, leading to many world records, including at the 1998 winter Olympics
- Biomechanical Findings: Research showed no change in muscle activation but improved power transfer by shifting the rotation point
- Speed increase: clap skates improve skating velocity by 5% compared to conventional skates
Role of running shoes
Lightweight, cushioned, and stiff shoes reduce the energetic cost of running (about 1%), improving performance
Nike shoes
- Nike’s prototype shoe combine a highly compliant foam with a carbon-fiber plate for added efficiency
- Nike Zoom Streak 6: EVA foam rearfoot Zoom air bag, 23mm heel, 15mm forefoot height, lowest energy return 65%
- Nike prototype shoe: Zoomx foam, carbon fiber plate, 31 mm heel, 21 mm forefoot height, highest peak deformation and energy return 87%
Adidas Adizero Adios BOOST 2
Boost foam, 23mm heal, 12mm forefoot, moderate energy returen 75.9%
Governing bodies limit of shoe design
World athletics prohibits shoes with a stake height of more than 40mm or with more than one rigid plate
Golf Clubs
- Early golf club design: Large-headed drivers were designed to increase the sweet spot but sacrificed driving distance for accuracy
- Technological advancements: engineers improved the driver by using lightweight materials and redesigning its dimensions
- New design maintained a large sweet spot while reducing air resistance by 10%
- Changes allowed for a faster swing and longer, more powerful drives without sacrificing accuracy
- highlights equipment engineering boosting athletic performance
Artificial Turf
- Origins of synthetic fields: developed by David Chaney’s team at NC state, first used in the Houston Astrodome, revolutionizing indoor sports
- Performance advantages: allowed for indoor stadiums, consistent playing conditions, and faster gameplay with reduced surface resistance
- Modern innovations: FieldTurf mimics real grass, uses a rubber foundation for improved shock absorption, reducing injury risk
- Current usage: engineered for grip, speed, durability, and impact resistance, making it a preferred choice for both indoor and outdoor fields
Injury concerns with artificial turf
- Higher risk of lower extremity injuries: Studies show increased rates of ACL tears, ankle sprains, and foot injuries on synthetic turf compared to natural grass
- ACL injury risk in NCAA Football: Non-contact ACL injuries are more common on artificial turf (44%) than natural grass (36%)
- Concussion Risk: Older artificial surfaces were linked to higher head impact severity compared to modern surfaces
Def: Tuned Track
A compliant track surface can act as a spring, and if its stiffness is closely tuned to the mechanical properties of the human runner
Tuned track
- A springy running surface first installed at Harvard’s Gordon indoor track
- Harvard runners ran 2.91% faster on tuned tracks
- Visiting athletes ran 2.1% faster compared to Princeton and Cornell tracks
- optimal track stiffness: 2-4x stiffer than human legs
- reduced foot contact time, increases stride length , increasing velocity
- injury reduction by 50% due to decreased peak vertical GRFs
- World records not recognized on tuned tracks dur to performance advantages
Elastic therapeutic tape: Kinesio Tape
- Invented in 1996 by kenzo kase
- Design: less stiff than traditional athletic tape (20-40% strain)
- Function: allows greater range of motion while pulling on skin
- Proposed mechanism: lifts skin to increase space between skin and muscle, improving circulation and reducing pressure and friction
- May push fluid through muscles, reducing fatigue
- Could improve range of motion and muscle contractility
- Claims to increased muscle activation or force production are not yet backed by solid evidence
- Safe to use despite the lack of strong scientific backing
Example of performance vs injury trade off
Running shoes
- carbon-fiber plate in running shoes enhances energy efficiency, but they may alter natural running mechanics, potentially increasing stress on the Achilles tendon or metatarsals
- Increased performance could come at the cost of chronic injury due to prolonged use
Example of performance vs fairness trade off
Swimsuits
- The speedo LZR racer provided such a competition advantage that is was banned
- highlights trade off between technological progress and the integrity of competition
Example of cost vs safety trade off
Artificial Turf
- Artificial turf is durable and cost-effective, but studies show a significant increase in injury risk
- Biomechanists face the challenge of designing surfaces that mimic grass while retaining the benefits of turf
