This work and its content is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence to Claire Davis ( Except where stated otherwise ).Creative Commons Licence "The

This work and its content is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence to Claire Davis (Except where stated otherwise).

"The role of technology in sporting performance"

Prof Claire Davis, School of Metallurgy and Materials


The role of technology in sporting performance

How much effect does engineering technology have on sport?

Is technology only used to increase performance?

What are the ‘new technologies’ being introduced?


Pole Vaulting

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thatpicturetakr/ / CC BY-ND 2.0


Pole Vaulting - history

19th & 20th Ash or hickory poles, hands moved up century pole during vault

1889 USA banned hand movement

1900 - 1942 Introduction of bamboo poles

Early 1900’s Box introduced to receive pole on ‘plant’

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32912172@N00/ / CC BY 2.0


Pole Vaulting - history1957 Bob Gutowski (USA), aluminium pole first

used, world record (WR) 4.78m

1957 Don Bragg (USA), steel pole WR 4.80m

≈1956 Introduction of flexible composite (fibre-glass) poles

1961 WR first broke with composite (fibre-glass) pole

http://www.flickr.com/photos/driever/ / CC BY-NC 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/deadyankee/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


Current world record:Men: 6.14m (Sergei Bubka 1994) Women: 5.06m (Yelena Isinbayeva 2009)

Effect of technology on performance


Modern poles

Uniaxial composites (fibre volume fraction of 66%):GFRP modulus ≈ 35 GPaCFRP modulus ≈ 140 GPa

Failure strains: Glass fibres ≈ 2.6 % Carbon fibres ≈ 0.6 - 1.1 %

Unidirectional carbonfibre / epoxy resin

Woven carbonfibre / epoxy resin

Filament wound glass fibre core


Modern poles - microstructure

Resin

Fibre bundle

Inner ply

Angled plies

Cross section through a vaulting pole showing bundles of glass fibres in resin matrix.


What the athletes say

‘I usually take around 10 poles to each competition, each of them different. The poles are all of a different length and therefore stiffness. Which one I use depends on how much speed I am generating on the runway. I start out with softer, longer poles until I’m fully warmed up and then I’ll keep switching as my speed and confidence increases. The wind conditions will also dictate which pole I use.’

Stacy DragilaUploaded by Silvjose

This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Unported license.


Modern poles

As you push the technology to the limit then failures can occur resulting in potential safety implications - poles occasionally break during a jump in an unpredictable manner.


Athletics - running

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pulfi/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0


Decrease in winning times for 100m was 15 ms yr-1 in 1900, now 6 ms yr-1

i.e. hence pace of improvement has slowed

Performance improvements come from:Better prepared athletes - improved training, nutrition etc.Limited engineering technology - shoes, clothing and track surfacesChemical technology ?

Sprinting

http://www.flickr.com/photos/philmcelhinney/ / CC BY-SA 2.0


How much effect does engineering technology have

on sport?

Are all sports equally affected by the introduction of engineering technology?

No - depends on the nature of the sport



Technology and research is usually used to improve performance, is this the only use?


Javelin

By the mid-1980s some athletes could throw javelins further than 100 m. This forced the IAAF to change the rules as the javelins were in danger of being thrown ‘out of the stadium’.

The new rules stipulated that the centre of mass should be moved forward by 4 cm. This helps to keep the nose down, reducing the lift on the javelin and cutting the distance it can travel.

Matti Järvinen throwing the javelin at the 1932 Summer Olympics.


Cycling

In 1972, Eddy Merckx set the 1 hour distance record, in Mexico City on a traditional steel framed bicycle, of 30.716 miles

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7448869@N03/ / CC BY-NC 2.0


CyclingSubsequently aerodynamic, streamlined Kevlar and carbon fibre composite bicycles increased the record to 35.031 miles, set by Chris Boardman in 1996.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyberdees/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

In 2000 Chris Boardman returned to a traditional bicycle to break Eddy Merckx’s record (30.716 miles) at 30.722 miles.


TennisThe change in racket frames from wood to aluminium then to fibre reinforced composites has resulted in larger racket heads. An increase in the sweet-spot area on the racket face means the ‘power’ of the racket has increased, which has increased the speed of the game.

Synthetic strings

Deformation of the rackethttp://www.flickr.com/photos/mischiru/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0


Tennis

The serve speed has increased to the current record of 155 mph.

Spectators have complained about the lack of rallies and excitement in the game.

To slow the game down on fast surfaces new balls are being introduced. One new ball type is 6% larger giving a 12% increase in drag and hence 10% increase in response time for the receiver.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_bretagne_a_paris/ / CC BY-SA 2.0


During impact the golf ball compresses by up to 10%.

Different construction and materials (e.g. polybutadiene, polyurethane, ionomer) are used to create balls with different properties (more spin or more distance).

Hence can optimise performance by selection of equipment to suit individual players (professional or amateur).

Golf



Technology and research is usually used to improve performance, is this the only use?

No - can be used to improve safety, limit advances or improve player and spectator

enjoyment


What are the ‘new technologies’ being

introduced?

Where is research and technology impacting on sport now?


Swimming

Design of new swimming suits - Jason Lezak’s suit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamdawson/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


Track cycling

• Riding on a 47º inclined track.

• Two main disciplines

(i) short ‘sprint’ distances (1 km)

(ii) longer ‘pursuit’ distances (4 km).

• Lightweight carbon fibre composite

bicycles with only one gear and

no brakes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinpalmer/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0


Track cycling505 g 980 g

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kgsbikes/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

http://www.flickr.com/photos/baumcycles/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

• Weight 1/acceleration

But cannot reduce weight at the expense of stiffness.


Track cycling


But cannot reduce weight at the expense of stiffness. High stiffness and good aerodynamics for foam filled solid wheels.

505 g 980 g




Track cycling

Resin required to lock skin to core and for aerodynamics.

Excess resin results in excess weight. Research has been carried out to reduce resin ingress into foam and has led to weight saving of 46g whilst maintaining stiffness.


But cannot reduce weight at the expense of stiffness. High stiffness and good aerodynamics for foam filled solid wheels.

505 g 980 g




Smart materials

Use of piezo-electric ceramics in active damping mechanisms to reduce vibrations

http://www.flickr.com/photos/phrequency/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Piezo-electric ceramics: application of a current / voltage results in mechanical deflection … or vice versa


Smart materialsShape memory alloys and thermocolour change

Nano-tex materials using nano-materials for stain / spill repelling, cooling

‘Smart’ clothing for heat release / retention

Thermochromic dyes

for monitoring body temperature

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nnova/ / CC BY-2.0


Does technology affect country performance?

How does,

and how will,

Great Britain perform at the Olympics?


International technology gap

2008 Olympic Medal table:

Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total GDP rank

1 United States 36 38 36 110 12 China 51 21 28 100 43 Russia 23 21 28 72 114 Great Britain 19 13 15 47 55 Australia 14 15 17 46 156 Germany 16 10 15 41 37 France 7 16 17 40 68 Korea 13 10 8 31 149 Italy 8 10 10 28 710 Japan 9 6 10 25 2

‘Missing’ top GDP countries?



2008 Olympic Medal table:

Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total GDP rank

1 United States 36 38 36 110 12 China 51 21 28 100 43 Russia 23 21 28 72 114 Great Britain 19 13 15 47 55 Australia 14 15 17 46 156 Germany 16 10 15 41 37 France 7 16 17 40 68 Korea 13 10 8 31 149 Italy 8 10 10 28 710 Japan 9 6 10 25 2

‘Missing’ top GDP countries? Spain (8), Canada (9), Brazil (10), India (12)(IMF data 2007)



‘Technology driven’ sports Non-technology sportTrack cycling + rowing + sailing Athletics

Total medals Total medalsGreat Britain 24 USA 23Australia 7 Russia 18New Zealand 6 Kenya 14Netherlands 5 Jamaica11France 5 Ethiopia 7Spain 5 Belarus 7Germany 5 Jamaica5USA 5 Cuba 5China 5 Ukraine 5Canada 4 Australia 4Italy 2 Great Britain 4


UK sports technology spendUK Sport funding (‘01 to ‘05) and (‘09 to ’13):(World class performance programme supporting athletes + research spend)

Rank Sport Spend No Olympic Olympic (000’s) athletes medals’04 medals’08

1 Athletics 11 400 25 110 64 4 42 Rowing 10 606 27 470 57 4 63 Cycling 8 613 26 922 30 4 124 Sailing 7 597 23 389 40 5 65 Swimming 6 417 25 606 48 2 66 Canoeing 4 659 16 289 18 3 37 Equestrian 4 413 13 651 24 3 28 Judo 4 107 7 636 24 0 09 Gymnastics 3 646 10 332 36 0 110 Triathlon 2 600 5 392 16 0 0

Data taken fromData taken from http://www.uksport.gov.uk/


What are the ‘new technologies’ being

introduced?

Where is research and technology impacting on sport now?

Introduction of new materials and designs.Focus on specific sports in UK


THANK YOU

Acknowledgements:Dr Martin StrangwoodDr Stephen KukurekaStuart MonkCatherine CatonLiz WilcockBlake RaynorAmy Cleeton

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This work and its content is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence to Claire Davis ( Except where stated otherwise ).Creative Commons Licence "The