ScienceDaily: Sports Science News

A basketball shot coach that does not require a coach

Tue, 28 May 2013 16:09:09 EDT

A group of business and engineering students at Brigham Young University have invented a sports technology to help improve basketball performance.

How playing surfaces affect athletic performance, injury potential

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:43:43 EDT

Students have been jumping up and down for weeks on a variety of playing surfaces in a study to evaluate how each affects athletic performance and injury potential.

Non-wetting fabric that drains sweat invented

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:36:36 EDT

Waterproof fabrics that whisk away sweat could be the latest application of microfluidic technology developed by bioengineers.

Change in cycle track policy needed to boost ridership, public health

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:16:16 EDT

Bicycle engineering guidelines often used by state regulators to design bicycle facilities need to be overhauled to reflect current cyclists' preferences and safety data, according to a new study. They say that US guidelines should be expanded to offer cyclists more riding options and call for endorsing cycle tracks -- physically separated, bicycle-exclusive paths adjacent to sidewalks -- to encourage more people of all ages to ride bicycles.

Mechanism that puts the curl in the curling stone revealed

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:52:52 EDT

Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden can now reveal the mechanism behind the curved path of a curling stone. The discovery by the researchers, who usually study friction and wear in industrial and technical applications.

Proper cleat choice gives turf injuries the boot

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:18:18 EDT

Injury on the playing field often is caused by the interaction between the athlete's shoe and the field surface.

3-D system could prevent shoulder injuries in baseball pitchers

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:40:40 EDT

A new 3-D motion detection system could help identify baseball pitchers who are at risk for shoulder injuries, according to a new study.

Taking the pulse of the crowd

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:47:47 EDT

If everyone in the crowd at a sports event or concert or even the players had wireless heart monitors fitted, commentators and those behind the sound desk could get a real measure of the sense of the collective excitement on each side and in the case of sport share the enthusiasm or for a concert adjust the set list to keep up the excitement. The same technology might also perhaps be used to help reduce panic should there be a fire or other scare at such events.

Wireless, implanted sensor broadens range of brain research

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:42:42 EDT

A compact, self-contained sensor recorded and transmitted brain activity data wirelessly for more than a year in early stage animal tests, according to a new study.

What can sports teams learn from the manufacturing industry? Plenty

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:24:24 EDT

What can sports teams learn from the manufacturing industry? Plenty, according to researchers.

Extreme work clothes for the Artic

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:13:13 EDT

Roughnecks working on oil and gas installations in the Arctic need clothes that monitor the health. Research scientists are developing a jacket with built-in sensors. It will monitor both body temperature and workers’ activity, and may become a useful tool for supporting decision-making.

Whoa there! Quick switch to 'barefoot' shoes can be bad to the bone

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:25:25 EST

A new study from a team of exercise science professors found that runners who transition too quickly to 'barefoot' running shoes suffer an increased risk of injury to bones in the foot, including possible stress fractures.

The right high-performance cross-country skiwear

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 08:58:58 EST

The sport of cross-country skiing has always been preoccupied with its skis and waxing. Research now demonstrates that to shave off those extra hundredths of a second, competitive skiers should pay more attention to their clothing.

NHL drafts the wrong players due to birthday bias, study suggests

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 EST

A hockey player's birthday strongly biases how professional teams assess his talent, according to a new study.

Camera inside spiraling football provides ball's-eye view of field

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:20:20 EST

Researchers have shown that a camera embedded in the side of a rubber-sheathed plastic foam football can record video while the ball is in flight that could give spectators a unique, ball's-eye view of the playing field. They developed a computer algorithm that converts the unwatchable, raw video into a stable, wide-angle view.

New citation indicators needed to measure research performance

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:17:17 EST

How do you compare the impact of a researcher in chemistry or physics with a molecular biologist who may be working on similar projects? Two experts support the use of citation indicators that are based on percentiles, a statistical parameter that allows for comparisons with a carefully defined group of reference data. Journal impact factors and h-index alone do not make the grade, they say.

Optimized custom-made ski sledges

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:13:13 EST

At the 2014 Winter Paralympics, competitors will line up wearing optimized sit skis that are adapted to their individual needs.

Interactive wobbleboard created to help rehabilitate patients

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:02:02 EST

A physiotherapy lecturer has created a new interactive wobbleboard that will allow clinicians to better measure improvements in patients’ balance.

Fantasy sports users spend more time in front of television on gamedays

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:39:39 EST

As the weekend approaches, you may notice your household’s fantasy sports user paying more attention to the television, according to a new study.

Adaptable prosthetics for amputees being developed in the UK

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:13:13 EST

Approximately one in every 1,000 people in the UK is an amputee. Many lose their limbs as the result of tragic accidents or due to active military combat and for some amputees losing a limb can feel like losing their freedom. Engineers are turning an academic concept into a practical product that could lessen the misery of thousands of amputees.

Nanoscale impulse radar measures depth of snow and ice for alpine ski slopes

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:13:13 EST

Snow is the be-all and end-all for alpine ski resorts. Now a tiny sensor has been developed to determine how much cold gold there is on the slopes and how much more should be produced. The sensor is based on Norwegian radar technology and is no larger than a match head.

Wearable technology can monitor rehabilitation

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:30:30 EST

Wearable technology is not only for sports and fashion enthusiasts; it can also be used to monitor and aid clinical rehabilitation, according to new research.

Video-game users: Who are sports gamers?

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:27:27 EST

From Gran Turismo to WWE Smackdown, sports-based video games represent a wide variety of pursuits. When it comes to the people who actually play those games, however, little is known. How do sports video game players fit their games into a larger sports-related context? How does their video game play inform their media usage and general sports fandom?

Happy face tattoo does serious work

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:11:11 EST

A medical sensor that attaches to the skin like a temporary tattoo could make it easier for doctors to detect metabolic problems in patients and for coaches to fine-tune athletes’ training routines. And the entire sensor comes in a thin, flexible package shaped like a smiley face.

Teleconcussion validated in case study

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:36:36 EST

A program using telemedicine technology is showing promise for patients with concussions in rural Arizona. A case study validates "teleconcussion" as a useful means to assess concussed patients.

What's behind the success of the soccer 'knuckleball'

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:52:52 EST

What makes soccer star Christiano Ronaldo’s “knuckleball” shot so unpredictable and difficult to stop?

New running shoe aimed to prevent lesions and improve training management

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:28:28 EDT

From the 80 million European runners, more than 37 million have suffered a running injury during sport practice in the last year. Researchers are working on the design of a new running shoe that integrates a measuring device that will provide training control and prevent injuries during running.

New soccer robot has human-like agility

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:28:28 EDT

Computer scientists have developed a new robot whose source code and design plan is publicly accessible. It is intended to facilitate the entry into research on humanoids, in particular, the TeenSize Class of the RoboCup. With its white head and black body, "NimbRo-OP" looks almost human and is very agile -- it has no problems kicking a soccer ball, and it can also get up from a prone position like a human.

New MRI technique allows detailed imaging of complex muscle structures and muscle damage

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:27:27 EDT

Scientists have developed a technique that allows detailed 3-D imaging of complex muscle structures of patients. It also allows muscle damage to be detected very precisely. This new technique opens the way to much better and more patient-friendly diagnosis of muscular diseases. It also allows accurate, non-invasive muscle examinations among top athletes.

Taking the bite out of baseball bats

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:29:29 EDT

Miss hitting the "sweet spot" on a baseball bat and the resulting vibrations can zing your hands. Bat companies have tried for decades to reduce these painful shocks with limited success. But acoustics researcher Daniel Russell has figured out that bat vibrations between 600 and 700 hertz (Hz) cause the most pain and that specifically tuned vibration absorbers are the best at combating the sting.

Robots that perceive the world like humans

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:01:01 EDT

Perceive first, act afterwards. The architecture of most of today’s robots is underpinned by this control strategy. The eSMCs project has set itself the aim of changing the paradigm and generating more dynamic computer models in which action is not a mere consequence of perception but an integral part of the perception process. It is about improving robot behavior by means of perception models closer to those of humans.

Physicists reveal striking similarities in sporting performance

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:46:46 EDT

Finding the similarities between volleyball and snooker may seem quite tricky. However, a group of physicists have found that the spread of scores, otherwise known as distribution, across their ranking systems are almost identical.

Mini-camera with maxi-brainpower

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 14:29:29 EDT

Torrential rapids, plunging mud holes and soaring hurdles: in the outdoor competitions at the Olympic Games, athletes pushed themselves to the limit. But it’s hard to depict this in pictures alone. This is why researchers created an intelligent camera that instantly delivers additional metadata, such as acceleration, temperature or heart rate.

Computer scientists reveal how aquatic Olympic gold is captured -- above and below the surface

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:25:25 EDT

Computer scientists have isolated the movements of Olympic swimmers and divers through a cutting-edge technique that reveals their motions above and below the water’s surface.

The spin racket: Ping-pong champs are intuitive masters of fluid dynamics

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:44:44 EDT

Curve balls may help a pitcher strike out batters in baseball; and some nasty spin can make an opponent sweat to return a tennis serve. But more so than in any other ball game, in table tennis – where the ball is so light and so small –dedicated players must master the physics of spin.

Microswimmers: Micron-scale swimming robots could deliver drugs and carry cargo using simple motion

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 09:39:39 EDT

Researchers have used complex computational models to design micro-swimmers that could overcome the challenges of swimming at the micron scale. These autonomous micro-robots could carry cargo and navigate in response to stimuli such as light.

The science of running: Follow the bouncing ball

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:13:13 EDT

Muscle size, genetics and training are among the countless factors that separate Olympic sprinters from the average person. On a fundamental level, however, the mechanics of running are the same for all humans. In fact, they’re basically identical for animals too.

Usain Bolt could break his own record with the help of altitude and the wind

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:12:12 EDT

Imagine the following situation. The 100 meters finals in the London Olympic Games. The Jamaican Usain Bolt wins. Up to this point everything sounds normal except for the fact that he would break his own record again with a time of 9.48 seconds. According to the New Zealand researchers, this would be his record if there were a two meter per second tailwind (maximum allowable wind) and the race took place at an altitude of 999 meters. The 100 meter final will take place on Sunday at London 2012.

Wrecks and effects: Fewer fans watching NASCAR for the crashes

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 18:51:51 EDT

Many car race fans do, indeed, watch NASCAR races because they want to see car wrecks, but more of them have been tuning in to see who actually wins the race since the circuit adopted its Chase for the Cup championship series in 2004.

Eye-writing technology: Writing in cursive with your eyes only

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:21:21 EDT

New technology might allow people who have almost completely lost the ability to move their arms or legs to communicate freely, by using their eyes to write in cursive. The eye-writing technology tricks the neuromuscular machinery into doing something that is usually impossible: to voluntarily produce smooth eye movements in arbitrary directions.

Olympic Games: Economists dare to forecast the medals table

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:49:49 EDT

Even before the Olympic Games really get started in London on 27 July, economists have dared to forecast the final medals table without taking into consideration the training status of the participating athletes. Based on the assessment of numerous statistical data, they forecast that China, USA, and Russia will top the score table with 102, 100, and 71 medals, respectively.

Strobe eyewear training improves visual memory

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 17:18:18 EDT

Participants in a new study engaged in physical activities, such as playing catch, while using either specialized eyewear that limits vision to only brief snapshots or while using eyewear with clear lenses that provides uninterrupted vision. There was an observed boost in their visual memory retention that was found to still be active 24 hours later.

Sport sciences looks at demands of competitive surfing

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:48:48 EDT

Want to train to become a competitive surfer? You'll need high endurance for paddling with bursts of high-intensity activity and short recovery times, according to a new study.

Go-fast 'dimples' may be the secret to running success

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 08:30:30 EDT

In the run-up to London’s 2012 Olympic Games, research revealed by a sports science expert has highlighted how the design of running shoes could boost an athlete’s performance.

Hockey: Researchers hit back at early bodycheck theory

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 14:19:19 EDT

A new study shows no evidence to back up the popular theory that teaching kids to body check earlier prevents injuries later.

GoalRef: FIFA approves intelligent goal

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:28:28 EDT

Goal or no goal? In response to this question, world soccer association FIFA wants to use technical assistance in the future. The body which determines the laws of the game, approved both goal-line technologies GoalRef and Hawk-Eye.

Physics confirms sprinters are performing better than ever before

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:40:40 EDT

Experts reveal that the men’s 100 m sprint will be one event not to miss this summer.

Achieve Olympic feet with barefoot running

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:32:32 EDT

British Olympic runners could run more economically by just taking off their shoes, say researchers.

How to bend it like Beckham: Physics students calculate perfect soccer ball kicking formula

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:03:03 EDT

Now that David Beckham won't be appearing at the London 2012 Olympics, other members of Team GB wanting to brush up on their free-kicks can rest easy. A physics students has figured out the optimum way of kicking a soccer ball in order to make it bend into the goal. The ex-England captain's curling free-kicks became legendary, and even inspired the title of the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham.

NIST goes the distance for the Olympics

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:46:46 EDT

In yet another Olympian feat of measurement, researchers recently calibrated a tape that will be used to measure out the distance of this summer's Olympic marathon -- a distance of 26 miles 385 yards -- to one part in 1,000.

Competitive swimmers can have movements tracked wirelessly through water

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:44:44 EDT

Training sessions for Team GB's swimmers have been getting a helping hand from a new system incorporating cutting-edge movement tracking and sensor technologies. From starting dives to tumble turns the state-of-the-art coaching aid is the first of its kind to be able to track movement wirelessly through water.

Paddle vs. propeller: Which competitive swimming stroke is superior?

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:02:02 EDT

In time for the US Olympic Trials, engineers settle the argument over which swim stroke technique -- deep catch or sculling -- is faster.

Virtual sailing gives competitors the edge

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:27:27 EDT

Scientists have shown how virtual simulation can be used to accurately predict how a yacht will behave during a race.

Humanoid soccer championship 2012

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:21:21 EDT

In a number of recent Hollywood hit films, robots do all kinds of spectacular things, from battling it out in boxing rings to saving the world from alien invaders. Researchers are now helping to bring those futuristic visions a little closer to reality.

Geolocating soccer players to assess their acceleration and speed

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:30:30 EDT

GPS isn’t just for guiding confused drivers, it can also be used by soccer managers who are a little lost when it comes to assessing their players’ performance. Acceleration, average and maximum speed, distance covered, etc.

Why wiggling in high heels could help improve prosthetic limbs and robots

Tue, 08 May 2012 22:01:01 EDT

People walking normally, or tottering in high heels, and ostriches strutting -- they all exert the same forces on the ground despite very differently shaped feet, according to new research. The finding suggests that prosthetic lower limbs and robots' legs could be made more efficient by making them less human-like and more like the prosthetics used by 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius.

Vibrating suit gives Olympic hopefuls competitive advantage

Wed, 02 May 2012 09:19:19 EDT

Pioneering research has applications in both health and sports. The suit is designed to give wearers feedback about where their body is in space. It does this by focusing on key points in the body, taking relative measurements between them to check the user's position. This data, much more simple to acquire and treat in real time than more complex motion capture systems, is then used to give the wearer feedback in real time about their movement.

Jellyfish inspires latest ocean-powered robot

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:41:41 EDT

Researchers have created a robotic jellyfish, named Robojelly, which not only exhibits characteristics ideal to use in underwater search and rescue operations, but could, theoretically at least, never run out of energy thanks to it being fueled by hydrogen. Constructed from a set of smart materials, which have the ability to change shape or size as a result of a stimulus, and carbon nanotubes, Robojelly is able to mimic the natural movements of a jellyfish when placed in a water tank and is powered by chemical reactions taking place on its surface.

Get me out of this slump: Visual illusions improve sports performance

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:17:17 EDT

With the NCAA men's college basketball tournament set to begin, college basketball fans around the United States are in the throes of March Madness. Anyone who has seen a game knows that the fans are like extra players on the court, and this is especially true during critical free throws. Fans of the opposing team will wave anything they can, from giant inflatable noodles to big heads, to make it difficult for players to focus on the basket.

Tactile imaging sensor can assist doctors with early identification of tumors

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:24:24 EST

A handheld tactile imaging sensor could aid doctors in early identification of cancerous lesions or tumors.