It has been suggested that high-tech gears have caused fundamental loss in skills among professional athletes. It is reasoned that advanced technologies can be detrimental to the development of skill, fitness and technique. Instead of arguing for too many reasons, it is important to be aware of the possible uses of such technology to improve skills, instead of reducing it.
As an example, some athletes are using skin suits that are based on the same technology employed by the military and workers in hostile environments. As an example, shark skin swim suits have been seen to provide additional benefits for swimming athletes. These suits are already banned in many situations, because some athletes could get unfair advantages.
However, some tight-skinned suits could cut down on the overall muscle fatigue. The suit could also help to minimize excessive water evaporation from the surface of our skin. However, suits should still be able to drain sweat and let the skin breathe. Proper circulation of moisture is essential in sports, because our body will let out plenty of moisture during intense physical activities.
Amateurs are much less restricted in terms of sports equipments and they may consider using carbon composite carabiners. Regardless of the suits that we use, we should prioritize safety.
Many people think that using MP3 player during a sports session is enough. But we should be aware that, in some types of sports that require concentration, such as climbing; MP3 Player or iPod could cause unnecessary distractions. For runners, technology isn’t only about digital implementations, but could also be translated to orthotics and light weight shoes.
The latest developments of shoes have allowed not only improved ergonomics, but also improved performance and much reduced chance for injuries. This allows runners to gain much more improved results from their overall training. In essence, technology should allow us to build tools that allow us to avoid injuries and increase safety. Sports technology shouldn’t unfairly assist our body, because the real purpose of sports is to have intensified physical activities, not to get assisted by in terms of physical movements by the technology.
Regardless of what technological implementations we choose, good coaching and instructions are still the best way to ensure optimized sports performance. In fact, it is believed that the best way to improve sports performance by providing near-zero technological implementations in many training sessions. Technology should be used only when athletes have excellent skills and physical performance. In this case, technology will bring the overall result to a new level and athletes shouldn’t be allowed to rely too much on technological implementations.
It is important for athletes to learn about the basics of their skills, preferably the hard way. Once they’re proficient in the basic skills, they can extend their capability with technological methods. They will be able to push themselves more and find new things that can bring them to the next level. Technology should assist us, instead of something that fully determines our performance and success in sports.