Olympics, Technology, and Sports Science

How much of a role do advances in technology and research in physical conditioning play a part in the performance of an athlete?

There already has been some controversy on the swimming suits created by Speedo. Some athletes claim that it gives an unfair advantage because it enables swimmers that are wearing these suits to cut through the water more easily, thus making them swim faster. This might be a trivial complaint, but when you think that gold medals are won and lost by mere 1/100ths of a second, anything that may constitute an unfair advantage is taken seriously. So far though, these special swimming suits have not been banned, and it looks like it will be standard 'equipment' in any swimming competition. If one agrees that it does give an advantage advantage, one only needs to look at other events where equipment is used to realize that, as unfair as it may be, athletes may gain an advantage due to superior equipment.

In the various rowing events, do all the countries have the same kind of boat? In cycling, it looks like there is no standard bicycle that everyone has to use. Track and Field athletes all use different brands of shoes. The list goes on and on. Whether or not these things do offer any advantage or not is of course subject to the individual. Going back to the example on swimming, whoever complained about the Speedo suits may have not gained the advantage he/she was expecting as compared to what others wearing the suits were claiming. What may work for one athlete may not work for another, and they are free to choose whatever they want to wear or use as long as it falls within the legal boundaries of the competition (for example, a swimsuit that has built in fins for example, would never be allowed in competition).

How about how much scientific physical conditioning affect ones performance?

Dara Torres won a couple of silver medals at these Olympic Games. To those who don't know her, here is a brief background. At 41 years old, she the oldest swimmer to compete in any Olympic Games for her event. A lot of people have commended her for having the discipline and strength to compete at such a high level, despite her older age relative to her peers (most of her competitors are half her age).

Because of her age, she undergoes a rigorous training program unique to her. They featured a short 'documentary' on NBC the other night on her prior to one of her races. Before even going into the water, her warm up includes being massaged by at least two physical therapists to ensure her muscles are loose and ready. Aside from her pool workout, she of course also lifts weights, and undergoes more physical therapy and conditioning. And although it was not shown, I'm sure she is also following a strict diet recommended to her by a sports dietician. Certainly, research in body conditioning, diet, and exercise have all helped Dara continue to perform at her peak level, even at an age where it is believed that the body is past its prime performance window.

Unlike pieces of equipment that can be purchased, access to top physical therapists, coaches, dietitians, and physical trainers are hard to come by. Could Dara Torres have competed without the help of her team to guide her? Without a doubt, I don't think so. Aside from inherent genetics, an athletes training program is what separates him/herself from other athletes in the same sport. People and countries have different methods of training. In gymnastics, for example, the training methods for the US team and Chinese team differ by night and day. Chinese gymnasts are plucked from their families and trained at such an early age and are taught to live, eat, and breath gymnastics. US gymnasts on the other hand, tend to lead more balanced lives, and are encouraged to have interests other than gymnastics. Different methods, both leading to more or less equal results.

However, I still can't help but wonder if third world countries had access to this sports 'science', could they compete at an even higher level than they do now? The answer is probably yes, which explains why a growing number of athletes from 'poorer' nations train in the USA and other countries where this kind of knowledge is accessible. This could even be the reason why a lot of coaches and trainers are from different countries than the athletes they train!

Because of this, it makes me commend athletes from these poorer countries even further, as they have to rely more on their raw talent and less on science to compete at the highest levels of their sport.

In the end, it really all boils down to the performance of the athlete, no matter what equipment is being used, and no matter what his/her training methods are.

Back to School

This week, classes officially start for me, as I take the 2 1/2 year journey towards acquiring an MBA. I am both excited and scared at the same time. Excited, because this is something that I have planned almost since I graduated from college, and I am finally moving forward with this personal goal. Scared, because I know that it will not be easy, and that I am really going to work my butt off in order to maintain good grades.

I have to put myself into "student" mode once again. I literally felt like a giddy schoolboy when my textbooks arrived in the mail, and even during orientation class when the guest 'teacher' enumerated standard classroom behavior... "no talking in class, pay attention, be prepared", etc. Some things never change. But in a modern twist, even "no emailing in class" was a rule. I think I have been out of the classroom too long to witness the proliferation and even standardization of laptops in the classroom!

The next few years will be, to put it lightly, difficult(!). With our little boy approaching the "terrible twos", another child on the way, and me taking up graduate studies, it seems that we (Caroline and I) have taken in more than we can handle. The first year of Lucas was hard enough... what more juggling two more tasks that take up a lot of time? Already I am bracing myself and I feel that I will have alot of nights (and days) where the only thing keeping me going is red bull and/or iced coffee. Yes, it will be difficult, but I do welcome the challenge. I am lucky that the University of Georgia (UGA) Terry College of Business evening MBA campus is located less than 15 minutes from the house, so at least I will not have to cope with travel time to and from my class.

Caroline and I feel that this is our transition phase in which the rest of our future will greatly be determined by what happens within the next 3 years. Transition meaning, preparing ourselves for moving up to the next step in life... in terms of career, standard of living, etc. She is always afraid that our lives may fall into a routine, or a rut. That is only true if you refuse to do anything about your current state. But we are not stuck; we are working towards greater things! While I am studying, she is working on our fledgling business (website coming soon... watch for it!). Dare I say that this may be the most difficult three years of our lives! But rarely does one succeed without facing a test in ones character, faith, and trust in ones partner (be it husband, wife, etc), and I look at it as such. We are at this point because of ourselves, and no one else. And we will face these challenges together.