In recent years, athletes have increasingly taken control of their public image by leveraging platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, bypassing traditional media outlets. This shift represents a significant change in how athletes manage their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Beyond curating their personal brands, there is an emerging opportunity to use performance data to create engaging content for fans.
The NFL preseason sets the stage not only for intense competition but also for showcasing the remarkable intersection of athlete performance and business strategy. As teams harness advanced sports science to push player capabilities to their peak, this not only affects the outcome on the field but also plays a crucial role in shaping team branding and commercial appeal.
Modern sports commentary is no longer just about describing the action; it’s about providing context and analysis that enhances the narrative of the competition. With advancements in sports science, commentators could now have access to a wealth of information that might help them explain why an athlete may be performing at their best or struggling in a particular moment. For example, insights into an athlete’s lactate threshold, heart rate, or recovery metrics could provide explanations for sudden changes in pace or endurance during a race.
Ferran Torres, a name that has become synonymous with promise and potential in the world of football, has faced his share of challenges on the path to the highest level. His journey from the Valencia youth academy to the heights of Manchester City and FC Barcelona has been marked by significant achievements and undeniable talent. However, like many elite athletes, Torres encountered obstacles that tested his mental resilience
Andy Murray, who most would consider Scotland’s greatest ever sportsman, has announced that he will officially retire from professional tennis following the conclusion of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Murray's career is a testament to physical and mental resilience, determination, and exceptional natural talent. As we reflect on his journey, it’s clear that he leaves behind a legacy that transcends the sport.
Renowned for his intense speed and try-scoring prowess, Rees-Zammit is now firmly in the thick of it as he prepares to transition to American football and the monumental task of adapting his skills to an entirely different sport. Having participated in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, which was established by the NFL in 2017 with the aim of providing elite international athletes with the opportunity to compete at the highest level of American football.
It’s been a turbulent few weeks in the UK. U-turns and diversions have been front and centre of the news agenda. It seems U-turns come at considerable cost in many walks of life. In a sporting context, turning, particularly at high speed and repeatedly come at a significant physiological cost. Fortunately, a new paper evaluating the turning demands of a Premier League team has recently been published and could help create a new understanding of this vital performance metric.
British Athlete Dina Asher-Smith has called for more research into the effect of periods on female athletes. The 2019 World 200m champion made the statement following pulling up in the European Athletics Championship final because of cramping calves. She attributed the cramps to “girls stuff” linking the incident to her menstrual cycle.
“The modern health and wellness industry is characterised by an abundance of baseless or exaggerated claims and widespread pseudoscience”. This is one of the key messages from a recent article published in the very well-respected scientific journal Sports Medicine. Much of the frustration is pointed towards the rise of social media, which allows messaging to go unchecked and the power of influencers and celebrities to spread mis and disinformation due to poor scientific understanding.
Since March and the dawning realisation of the seriousness of Covid-19, 2020 has presented challenges for sport scientists. At the elite end of the profession, event cancellations, postponements and lockdowns inhibited training and monitoring plans. For those that use exercise as a health intervention, social restrictions interrupted programmes and the worry of increasing sedentary behaviour caused concern particularly among older and isolated groups. In this blog, Sport Science Agency will take a look back at some of the key developments that have shaped sports science in 2020.
Sport Science Agency discusses the impact of sporting bubbles on the players, staff, performance and marketing content with Professor Barry Drust and Geelong Cats Patrick Hogben
Last week saw the introduction, into competitive English football, on a trial basis, of the video assistant referee technology system (VAR). It follows last season’s successful implementation of goal line technology and is the latest in a growing number of virtual, tracking or predictive technologies introduced to support officials and referees across sport.
Arguments as to the benefits and drawbacks have been well reported. What has gained less coverage is the potential impact regarding players’ physical load during a game.
Throughout sport, rule changes and the introduction of technology have affected how the game is played and the nature of the players playing it. Tennis is a prime example. Players often use the challenge system tactically, in an attempt to break opponents’ momentum or gain extra recovery time following a high-intensity rally.
Football at the highest level requires players to combine a number of fitness elements. It involves high intensity sprinting, accelerations, strength, an endurance base as well as the application of skill and mental agility to deal with tactical demands.
In the English Premier League, the average 90 minute game sees the ball in play for 56.17 minutes. Players are covering distances of nearly 11km per game of which over 10% is covered at high speed. But the biggest increase in activity levels has come in the number of high intensity runs players now make. Data from Barnes et al, back in 2014, showed that players were making 49% more high speed runs than in 2007 and the total distance and intensity numbers are expected to have continued to rise.
The game is undoubtedly speeding up though many have argued VAR may slow it down. What they actually mean is, VAR will impact the ball in play time. But can VAR actually increase ball in play time? Or could it lead to changes in player load and even greater physical demands?
A recent study examining the evolutionary changes in activity and recovery in Rugby League, published by Gabbett & Hulin (2017) in the Journal of Sport Sciences, showed the greatest impact on ‘ball in play’ time resulted from video referee stoppages. It also showed that ‘in game recovery’ time actually increased. So, while video referee referrals reduced the ‘ball in play’ time, it also produced greater recovery time for players, which can enable greater player load/exertion levels to be reached during games.
Could the same be a consequence of the introduction of VAR in football?
There are two areas to consider here:
Until the system has been fully trialled and evaluated it is difficult to answer either of these questions. However anecdotal evidence from goal line technology points to more ball in play time as players no longer challenge the referee during breaks. This leads to play being resumed without incident. Evidence from Rugby League and Rugby union on the other hand, suggests that ball in play time has been reduced by the introduction of video technology as game time is lost during those time on and time off moments during referrals.
The really interesting analysis will be the impact, if any, on the players physical demands. Will, as we have seen in Rugby League, increased in game recovery time allow players to compete at even higher intensities once play resumes? Will more effective decision making mean less stoppages and a reduction of in game recovery? And what impact will this have regarding player preparation in order to cope with the potential physical challenges VAR might bring.
It’s too early to know how VAR will impact player load and the physical demands of the Premier League. As the system’s adoption increases, sport science teams will evaluate how its introduction impacts areas such as ball in play and in game recovery. If it does, as in both codes of Rugby, start to alter the physical demands of the game, the challenge for clubs will be to adapt training, ensuring players are prepared for these new demands.
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