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Exercise Testing Gold Coast - VO2max & Power Profile Tests Why do an Exercise Test (VO2max) with Gas Analysis? Exercise Testing at Gold Coast Physio & Sports Health is available to Competitive and Amateur Athletes for both Cycle and Run disciplines.

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The swimsuit worn by competitors throughout 2009 improved performance and was subsequently banned. Reuters/Wolfgang Rattay

The history of technology in sport is a long and sordid love affair. It has thrilled, broken hearts, and either built success or elicited cries of fraud.

The humble golf ball is a good example. Fundamental to the game of golf is striking it from point "a" to "b" to end up in a hole in as few shots as possible. But apply a dimpled pattern to its surface and it can go further for less effort. Then optimise the pattern of the dimples and the ball will hook or slice less when struck. Suddenly the skill required to play the game is made easier.

Allowing any of these evolutionary steps is bound to trigger a debate about the importance and limits of technological progression.

Keeping it controversial

History is littered with the controversial use of sports technology.

The Polara golf ball is a case of an innovation making a sport too easy, effectively deskilling it. The innovation benefited lower-skilled players who had a greater tendency to make mistakes but not higher-skilled golfers who were already adept at making an accurate drive. It essentially deskilled the game - and was banned.

Full-body swimsuits captured the public's imagination at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. The introduction of the suit was shown to improve a swimmers' performance dramatically as the designs evolved. After 43 records were broken in 40 events at the 2009 World Swimming Championships and 130 world records were broken in less than a year, the global swimming governing body voted to ban the full-length suits.

The tragedy was not that the suits were banned but that the world records remained in place. This meant that future athletes did not have the same advantage as those that had set them. This decision was arguably unfair.

Likewise the case of South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius. In 2008, he sought to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The use of his prosthetic legs with carbon fibre blades resulted in a furious debate on what advantage they gave him.

After a protracted dispute involving studies and counter studies, Pistorius was allowed to run in both - mainly due to lack of agreement on the issue.

Reuters/Davis Gray

Faster, higher, stronger

The motto of the Olympic Games is "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (faster, higher, stronger). This suggests that we should embrace any progress and push all of our resources to achieve it.

Never is this more apparent than in cycling. Forty years ago riders were wearing woollen jerseys and using the same bike for all events. Now they wear advanced fabrics to maximise aerodynamics and optimise core body temperature while using different bikes based on terrain or effort. It could be argued that the technology makes the effort of athletes today incomparable to those of the past.

The cycling hour record involves riders cycling as far they can on a velodrome in 60 minutes. In the 1990s there was a flurry of innovations and bikes evolved away from the design that had remained virtually unchanged since the 19th century.

Worried that things were getting out of hand and that engineers might be dictating the results, the international cycling governing body outlawed these designs. It then rewrote the rules in such a way that a rider was expected to use a similar design to those made 50 years ago. It was a noble idea, but cyclists continued to try and find loopholes.

In late 2014, the governing body rewrote its rules again to allow contemporary time trial bike designs. The reality is that giving a sport some technological wiggle-room can keep sponsors coming, provide interest to fans and may prevent a sport from stagnating.

Keeping it accessible

The equipment needed to perform a sport can determine its success and levels of participation. New and interesting technology may keep us engaged with a sport. But cost and access need to be monitored for it to remain accessible.

Part of the controversy around swimsuits was the fact that only athletes with the right sponsors could access them. Many others couldn't - effectively making it a case, metaphorically speaking, of bringing a knife to a gun fight.

Make sports equipment and technology too expensive and very few future athletes will participate. Keep the equipment too technically difficult to use and amateurs will have to move onto something else.

Stand-up paddleboarding, for example, has been described as the world's fastest growing watersport. But no robust governing body or equipment specification guides what length or width boards should be. Board width determines how stable the board is when paddled and therefore how skilled in balance a person needs to be. The narrower the board, the faster it will go but the more challenging it will be to use. Go wider and raw performance will suffer but more people will be able to engage with the sport.

The safety conundrum

What about the impact of technological progress on safety? For example, the centre of gravity of javelins was changed in the late 1980s to ensure that they remained within existing throwing infields as athletes were throwing further and further. Likewise, headgear in amateur boxing was eventually adopted to provide extra protection to its athletes.

But unintended consequences also have to be taken into account. While headgear has reduced the general severity of head injuries, it can also give a boxer an increased sense of invulnerability. This might explain why there has not been a reduction in the number of recorded head injuries since headgear was introduced.

Ultimately, there is a philosophical difference between technologies that facilitate a sport and those that enhance it. Empirical science often needs to be accompanied by philosophical debate. In the case of runners with an amputation, it isn't just about how a prosthetic limb performs. It also challenges perceptions about disability and how closely humans should engage with technology.

Technology is there to facilitate a sport and to challenge the limits of our performance. But this has to be tempered with caution and vigilance to ensure a sport remains fair, safe and accessible.

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Why technology in sport poses a threat to keeping the game fair, safe and affordable

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The history of technology in sport is a long and sordid love affair. It has thrilled, broken hearts, and either built success or elicited cries of fraud. The humble golf ball is a good example. Fundamental to the game of golf is striking it from point "a" to "b" to end up in a hole in as few shots as possible.

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The use of technology in sports is growing rapidly. In football, for instance, new devices are used for different reasons such as to help referees in decision-making and to quantify the athletes' performance during a game, thus helping the coach to set the training program and the game strategy.

One of the most famous and recent technologies introduced in football, is called "goal line technology". It is used to determine if a ball has crossed the goal line, in order to support the referee.

Instead, as regards the quantification of the athletes' performance during a football match, different kind of devices have been produced in the last few years. Wearable devices that can monitor heart rate were integrated with tracking technologies that include global positioning system (GPS), accelerometer and gyroscope sensors, which are used to describe the athletes' movement and physical demands. Therefore, these new technologies can assess the number of collisions and jumps that occur during a match. These data have become increasingly important for coaches, athletic trainers and doctors. In fact, coaches use them to provide better strategies for their team. Knowing exactly where and how their players move on the field, they can choose the best player for each position or change a player according to the opponents' level.

Athletic trainers use these data to plan the training sessions during pre and regular season, and use technologies to provide measurable training routines, customized for each athlete. For example, some technologies have been designed to enhance both the physiological and psychological elements of the game.

Moreover, athletic trainers, team doctors and coaches can utilize heart rate and sensors data to prevent injuries when players are about to exceed their physical thresholds.

Besides, the media also love data since it gives added value to their reports.

Recently, big clubs have used data provided by these new technologies to scout potentially interesting players.

In conclusion, it can be argued that the use of new technologies is changing not only the way of training football players and playing football, but also the whole experience of living and watching the most popular sport in the world.

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How Technology in Sport is Changing the Game | Technogym

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The use of technology in sports is growing rapidly. In football, for instance, new devices are used for different reasons such as to help referees in decision-making and to quantify the athletes' performance during a game, thus helping the coach to set the training program and the game strategy.

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*Measures your aerobic capacity utilising metabolic data. Specifically, useful for athletes competing in endurance events, knowledge of an athletes VO2 max at maximum heart rate can assist in developing an individualised training program.

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*VO2 max testing
*Lactate threshold testing
*Biomechanical analysis

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Training Innovation

There is much training innovation in many elite sports, which have become standard practice. Some of the many training innovations is the inclusion of specific tests such as the VO ₂ max test, and lactate threshold testing. In addition to these training innovations, biomechanical analysis of specific movements has become more common in a variety of sport.

VO₂ max testing and how it improves performance

The VO ₂ max test is a training innovation that measures an athlete's maximal oxygen consumption in L per Min per Kg of body weight, maximum heart rate, ventilation rate, and the efficiency of muscles. In addition the VO ₂ max test also provides a predictor of lactate threshold. The test is used to set heart rate training zones as a real measure of maximum heart rate is achieved. theVO ₂ max test also provides feedback on the effects of training. This allows the athlete to train more effectively to improve their cardiovascular endurance. It is particularly beneficial in endurance sports such as: marathons, triathlons, or AFL.

Lactate threshold testing and how it improves performance

Lactate threshold testing is a training innovation that seeks to identify an athlete's lactate inflection point (the point when lactate begins to accumulate in the blood). This test provides a lactate threshold heart rate and training pace. Lactate threshold testing helps the athlete to set training zones that are more accurate and beneficial, providing better results, particularly in aerobic sports where the athlete wants to be as close as possible to the lactate inflection point without crossing into the anaerobic training zone. However, lactate threshold testing also helps in anaerobic training to ensure training is forcing the body to deal with lactate overload and recover from it.

Biomechanical analysis and how it improves performance

Biomechanical analysis is a training innovation that analyses the athlete's technique to ensure their movement is efficient and safe. Biomechanical analysis is done in many sports to analyse: the force through joints, the force absorbed and produced by muscles, ensure technique is correct to produce the most efficient movement possible and that the technique will not lead to injury.

This is a huge benefit in sports that are particularly technical, such as: cricket, tennis, golf and baseball. Biomechanical analysis allows the athletes to last longer with more efficient movement patterns, and to achieve better results due to a better technique. This saves energy and provides the athlete with an advantage over others.

Other training innovation

There are many other training innovations used in sport. These include:

Ethics and training innovation

Many of the training innovations are expensive and can only be accessed by athletes or clubs who can afford the testing and equipment. This can create an unfair playing field, particularly when competition is between countries, where one country has access and the other does not (e.g. American female football players playing the female team from the Congo). The ethical considerations revolve around equity of access and money, more than safety.

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There is much training innovation in many elite sports, which have become standard practice. Some of the many training innovations is the inclusion of specific tests such as the VO2 max test, and lactate threshold testing. In addition to these training innovations, biomechanical analysis of specific movements has become more common in a variety of sport.

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*Prevents injury
*Provides ammeter players the necessary framework from professional in order to improve ability

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Hollywood tech helps tennis players improve their skills

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Hawk-Eye has been an integral part of tennis since 2002 and continues to deliver innovative solutions for federations, tournaments, broadcasters, sponsors and academies that truly enhance the game for players and fans.

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Pdhpe.net - Ethical issues related to technology use in sport: 

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Pdhpe.net - Ethical issues related to technology use in sport: 

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*Has technology gone too far?
*Has access to technology created unfair competition?

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Ethical Issues Related to Technology Use in Sport

There are a number of ethical issues related to technology use in sport and there are many who debate the place of technology in sport. Things such as goal line technology and video replays for decisions normally made on the field affect the sport and how they are played. many technology advances have benefited people with disabilities. The changes to wheelchairs, prosthetics and more that enable people with varying disabilities to participate in sport has been a great development, but this access is not the same to all athletes.

Has technology gone too far?

There is no simple answer to this question and it relates the the second below. This is one of the biggest ethical issues related to technology use in sport. Technology should be used to improve sports performance. Audiences want to see improved performance and athletes want to improve their performance. Improvements in performance will become very rare if technology is removed from it. However, when technology lead to unfair competition it use should become limited.

Has access to technology created unfair competition?

The ethical issues related to technology use in sport include equity of access. Accessing technology is expensive, especially when talking about physiological testing or biomechanical analysis. Even some equipment is costly, and if all competitors cannot access technology then the competition is unfair due to inequities in access to technology. However, most sporting competitions involve athletes or clubs who either can or cannot afford technologies. All major sporting competitions such as: NBA, NBL, NFL, AFL, NRL, A-League, EPL, Champions League, etc have plenty of money to access technology. The same goes for many elite individual sports such as golf and tennis.

However, international sports competitions do not have the same level of equity. Individual athletes from poorer developing countries cannot always afford the same technologies as athletes from developed countries, especially from countries that place a high value on sport (America, England and Australia).

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Ethical Issues Related to Technology Use in Sport

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There are a number of ethical issues related to technology use in sport and there are many who debate the place of technology in sport. Things such as goal line technology and video replays for decisions normally made on the field affect the sport and how they are played.

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Technology in sports: How far is too far?

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Technology in sports: How far is too far?

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*Major concern with technology in sport as it stands today is that much of it is still subject to human error and issues of misjudgement.
*Common argument associated with technology such as Action replay, Hawkeye and VAR is that they all slow down and take away the natural, free-flowing beauty and essence of the game.
*The goal for technology’s partnership with sport is universally agreed by sports organisations to be to improve sports performance and should not lead to the creation of unfair advantages.
*In region of representative sport such as Olympics and commonwealth games, access to technology is by no means equal, as a result of unequal levels of wealth across all countries and states whom compete creating an unfair advantage; as wealthy countries are able to afford the best sport enhancing technology while the less wealthy cannot. This creates an unequal playing field and ultimately an unfair advantage dictated by varying levels of wealth. This could be targeted with regulatory rules set out by sporting organisations in order to create a level playing field. Alternatively, countries/states whom do not have access to technological sports innovations could be provided with improved tech via donations from the sporting bodies.

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For years football stood firm in its stance that the game did not need technology as counterparts cricket, tennis and rugby persevered with a relentless desire to get decisions right.
However, in the summer of 2013, the FA announced they would be using Hawk-Eye to clear up contentions goal line decisions in the Premier League. Now as sport seems destined to embrace technology to its fullest we must ask the question, how far is too far?

Firstly when discussing technology in sport it is vital to note that it is not 100% accurate and decisions can still be contentious. Try telling an England rugby fan that Mark Cueto didn't score a try in the World Cup final against South Africa. Try telling a batsman who swears he didn't nick a ball that he's out because 'hotspot' says so. The point is, technology or not, sport will always have its controversies.

The most famous and to-date most universally successful form of technology in sport is undoubtedly Hawk-Eye. The system tracks the position of the ball in football, tennis and cricket and is accurate to within five millimeters.

Hawk-Eye has been an unequivocal success with the only real complaints being that it takes away from the natural drama of the game. Roger Federer is a public opponent of the system, stating: "What I like without Hawk-Eye is just the players challenging the umpires more often."

It is true that sport loses some of its edge as the margin for error disappears and we may never see another 'you cannot be serious' moment in the mold of John McEnroe. But surely getting decisions correct holds sway over the desire to witness emotional outbursts of rage.

Perhaps the clearest sign of sport and technology becoming intertwined is the formerly stoic stance of FIFA not to use technology changing. Goal line technology will be used at the 2014 Brazil World Cup and they will also employ a vanishing spray to measure out 10 yards at free-kicks.

The issue with technology in sport as it stands is that much of it is still subject to human error and personal opinion. Almost every week there is a decision in the Premier League that causes uproar and at the same time splits opinion.

With terms such as 'there was contact' making the line between foul and dive far more blurred, the job of the television match official (TMO) in football would be a truly thankless task.

Football of course does not lend itself to long pauses in the same way as rugby with its system of pausing the clock for long delays and cricket, a sport which is played at a far slower pace. If football was to embrace video technology it would surely have to take on rugby's approach of stopping the clock every time a decision was needed to be made or risk running into absurd lengths of injury time.

This is something that would undoubtedly detract from the free flowing nature of the game and this is something that must be avoided.

Technology in sport appears to have reached a tipping point with the advantages at the moment far out-weighing the disadvantages and it seems that the say of technology in sport is only going to increase.

It is vital that the governing bodies strike a balance between the spontaneous joy of live sport and making sure that the right decisions are made.

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Technology in sports: How far is too far?

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For years football stood firm in its stance that the game did not need technology as counterparts cricket, tennis and rugby persevered with a relentless desire to get decisions right. However, in the summer of 2013, the FA announced they would be using Hawk-Eye to clear up contentions goal line decisions in the Premier League.

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*Clothing equipment
*Protective equipment
*Technological equipment
*General equipment

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Many equipment advances in sports have caused increases in sports performance that are not due to the athlete's ability, but due to equipment advances. Equipment advances are specific to sports where the equipment is used. Equipment advances can be in

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*Aims to identify an athlete’s lactate inflection point (point at which blood starts to accumulate lactate fluid).

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How is an Athlete's Lactate Threshold Determined?

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Notable technological advancements in sporting history

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Notable technological advancements in sporting history

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The 20 Biggest Tech Advancements in Sports History

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From breakaway rims to LZR swimsuits to lighter running shoes.

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Ergonomic: latin for energy- producing.
Any procedure, process or substance that enhances performance; or is perceived to enhance performance.
Ergonomic aids can have one or more of the following effects;
*delay the onset & perception of fatigue
*act directly on muscle fibres
*supply fuel for muscular contraction
*act on heart and circulatory system
* affect respiration
* mask pain & hasten recovery
There are 5 classes of performance-enhancing aids:
*Mechanical aids (equipment, skill development & biomechanics)
*Pharmacological aids (drugs)
*Nutritional aids (dietary manipulation)
*Psychological aids (mental rehearsal and goal setting)
*Physical aids (blood doping, training, recovery procedures & oxygen-uptake)

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A-League Grand Final, Video Assistance Referee (VAR) fault 

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A-League Grand Final, Video Assistance Referee (VAR) fault 

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'Staggering': FFA reveal ridiculous cause of VAR farce that decided Grand Final

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Kosta Barbarouses scored the eventual winner in the 9th minute but James Donachie was in an offside position in the lead up to the goal - but the goal was allowed to stand. "We are extremely disappointed at this failure of the VAR technology," O'Rourke said, "And we understand the disappointment and frustration of the Newcastle Jets, their fans and indeed all football fans.

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Used to determine;
*Goal decisions
*Penalty decisions
*Direct red card decisions
*Mistaken identity

Works in 3 steps:
1: Incident occurs
2: Review & advice by VAR
3: Decision or action is taken

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Video assistant referee (VAR) improves football or soccer and are used in the four match-changing situations; penalties, goals, direct red cards and mistaken identity.

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A utopian mood has gripped Fifa, with Gianni Infantino, the president, announcing the death of offside controversies and claiming VAR is "cleaning football".

Infantino called Russia 2018 "the best World Cup ever" and claimed it had "changed" the host country for the better. But his homage to VAR, the video assistant referee system, spoke of a more reliable long-term transformation.

In the president's traditional pre-final address, an hour passed before VAR came up in questions. "Nobody has asked - that means it's accepted, it's working, it's working well," Infantino said.

What followed was a love letter to review technology, laced with sci-fi language. "The results are extremely clear and extremely positive," Infantino said. "There have been more than 440 checks, 19 reviews in 62 matches - so one every three and a half games. There were 16 decisions changed. Changed means from a wrong decision to a right decision.

Tick of approval: Referee Enrique Caceres goes to watch the VAR during Portugal's match against Iran.
Photo: AP

"VAR is cleaning football, making it more transparent and honest, helping referees to make decisions. Ninety-five per cent of decisions were already correct.

"Thanks to VAR, we increased it to 99.32 per cent, the latest figures. Touch wood for the next two games. Offside goals are finished in football, at least with VAR. You will never see an offside goal scored because with VAR you either are, or you are not, offside."

Infantino's boast about this tournament producing "zero red cards for violent play" will intrigue England, who remember Jordan Henderson being double-butted in the Colombia game.

Sepp Blatter's successor is adamant, though, that surveillance is working. "Everyone knows that if they do this [miming an elbow in the face], one of the 36 or so cameras will spot it and you will be sent off," he said.

"Today, it's difficult to think about the World Cup without VAR. It has been, certainly, a more just competition thanks to VAR.

"This is what we wanted to achieve and what we have achieved so far. We'll see what we can improve and will improve it."

In a mostly celebratory address, Infantino was challenged on Fifa's refusal to pay the tens of thousands of World Cup volunteers - and on his earlier claim that the world has "fallen in love with Russia".

One reporter raised the litany of political charges against Russia, from annexations to repression to alleged interference in elections and state doping. This, after Infantino had said: "For a couple of years, I've said this would be the best World Cup ever. Today I can say it with more conviction because I lived it and you lived it."

Confronted by those thornier political issues, Infantino said: "I think there are many injustices in the world. Many things that are not working as citizens of the world would like them to work. There are many things we would like to change. Not in one country, one region, area, but in the entire world.

"And, of course, we have to try to work and speak and make things change for the good, wherever we can. But here we are at the World Cup. We are focusing on football and celebrating football. One of the things we are missing more and more in the world is the capacity to speak to each other. To have the dialogue. If there is no dialogue, no discussion, no understanding, respect, we cannot go anywhere."

Infantino also argued: "Russia has changed. It has become a real football country.

"A country where football has become part of the country's DNA and the country's culture.

"This has been a great adventure and I'm sure that the hundreds of thousands who came have enjoyed the warm and welcoming atmosphere. A lot of preconceived opinions have changed thanks to this World Cup, because everyone has seen the true nature of all the people in Russia."

Back to matters on the pitch, Infantino claimed a Croatia-France final "shows the level of football at the top is very wide and gives hope to all the teams - big or small doesn't exist any more".

Gigantism, however, persists, with Fifa pushing for a 48-team tournament as early as 2022 in Qatar, which will run from Nov 21 to Dec 18.

"In this World Cup, we had teams who are regulars, like Italy, Holland, Chile, Cameroon, USA, who did not qualify. So, the quality is certainly there," Infantino said. "Panama came for the first time, and they celebrated their first goal, against England, as if they had won the World Cup."

Infantino also revealed that the Thai boys' football team rescued from a cave would be invited to attend the Fifa Best Awards in September, but rejected calls for volunteers to be paid. He said: "We are all volunteers. As soon as we go home, we drive our children to their football or basketball or handball tournaments."

Some would call that parenting.
The Telegraph, London

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A utopian mood has gripped Fifa, with Gianni Infantino, the president, announcing the death of offside controversies and claiming VAR is "cleaning football". Infantino called Russia 2018 "the best World Cup ever" and claimed it had "changed" the host country for the better.

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Utilising technology in order to gain an advantage in sport has gained considerable attention since the first moon landing in 1969. These technological aids are designed to correct technique, create resistance, offer support or padding and improve performance. Many have revolutionised how sports are played & trained. Technology in sport has in many ways made coaches jobs easier, as it has enabled them to more closely simulate game or competition situations; thus developing athletic performance. Athletes tools are now stronger, faster, lighter and better designed than they ever were, at a rapid & continuous rate of improvement.

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The use of technology in sport has made a great impact on the way many sports are played