In this section...
It's not only activity on the pitch, stadium or pool that has prepared athletes for London; various cutting edge innovations have been harnessed to help improve the performance of Scotland's finest...
Performance analysis
Vital for analysing an athlete’s performance as well as that of their opponents, to gain the competitive edge. It’s much more than video analysis and includes feedback on game patterns, biomechanics, technique analysis, and coordination patterns.
VO2 max
Defines athletes’ ability to utilise oxygen. Analysis of this information enables coaches and sports scientists to set individual training levels and adjust training schedules.
Sleep watches
Getting a good night’s sleep is important for everyone, especially high performance athletes. By monitoring sleep patterns, experts can identify and find solutions for a range of issues which may affect performance, such as stress.
GPS
Athletes wear a tiny unit on their back plus a heart rate monitor. Their movement is tracked continuously by satellites and information is stored on distance and speed covered on a second by second basis. This information is coupled with heart rate data providing unique insight to game demands, athlete response and athlete capabilities.
Blood lactate testing
Provides coaches and athletes with information on how well the athlete’s body is dealing with levels of exercise intensity. It allows for informed and accurate training manipulation.
TMG (Tensiomyography)
Not everyone has the muscle capability to perform on the world stage. TMG looks at muscle response and can establish if an athlete has the necessary balanced muscle infrastructure to be at the top of their sport. This is the first reliable and valid non-invasive method of muscle fibre typing and is a huge step forward for Scottish sport.
Heart rate monitors
A training tool that helps athletes ensure they are working at prescribed intensities.
Muscle lab
Electronic muscle assessment calculates optimum training levels. This hi-tech equipment is used to calculate the perfect exercising intensity for each athlete at a given point in their schedule. This is particularly useful in pre competition where recovery from international travel is part of the mix
The Hosand Aqua (waterproof) System
The system enables recording of heart rate response during swimming training sessions in order to better understand the physiological demands of sport specific performance and provide real-time heart rate feedback for coaches and athletes.
Video feedback goggles and video illustration
The goggles provide immediate access to video images provided by remote telemetry based video streaming from external cameras. Athletes can literally see their own bodies at exactly the same time as they are moving. The advantages to skill development are enormous and the institute uses this technology across performance development and injury recovery conditions. When the goggles’ video stream is coupled with video illustration techniques such as line drawings, angles and split screen comparisons the behavioural response can be amazing.
Remote performance analysis
The institute utilises Elite Sports Analysis’ remote performance analysis web service to provide notational analysis data as it happens all over the world. The work is carried out here in Scotland where online video is captured from in-event circumstances, it is analysed and then made available via a secure website. This method was used in tennis in the lead up to Wimbledon and in various sports in the lead up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Acclimation Chamber
The chamber gives the institute team the ability to replicate a challenging environment such as the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, and monitor the demands which heat and humidity place on the body. This helps to precondition the athlete and aids adaptation when the athletes travel to different climates.
The Polar Team 2 system
The Polar Team 2 system provides more complex analysis of heart rate data after training sessions with very clear reports which shows break down of the total training intensity into the pre-set training zones. The report can then be sent to the coach or athlete.
