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Hi there bloggers,

The next two posts concerning sport technology will be a review of the recent trend of toning shoes.


I look forward to your comments in the coming week.

-Jade

The new adiPURE Z

Adidas Golf seems to have been hard at work lately coming up with some new products. They have recently launched their new shoe for the 2011 season, namely the adiPURE Z that integrates the traditional look but with enhanced performance.

The shoes are made from high quality hand-finished leather that gives the wearer a fantastic sense of comfort as well as good wear and tear.

In terms of technology, the new adiPURE Z feature adidas's ThiNTech. It can be described as a low-profile technology that brings the golfer closer to the playing surface which improves stability and therefore can contribute to a better power-transfer during the swing. It consists of a 10-spike configuration and fitFOAM for added cushioning.

I’m still a bit of a skeptic in that I still believe the ultimate determinant of performance regardless of whether you have the latest equipment- is technique. I maintain that the subject of sports technology is a field that intrigues nevertheless.

Written by : Jade Davids
source: http://www.youtube.com/ (adiPURE Z)

Question: What makes up a sprinter or gives one the ability to perform explosively??

Question: What makes up a sprinter or gives one the ability to perform explosively??

Looking at sprinting, it is dependent on high velocity limb movement and the biggest component for this to happen is based on the muscle physiology of the individual. A sprinter legs have muscle fibers that contract and relax faster over a short period of time producing maximum force, will determine a winner. There are other factors that contribute this like the individuals muscle adaptation to training and the ability of the muscle to meet the demands of high velocity performance.

Let us go deeper into the muscle physiology. Force production in our muscles is due to the interaction of protein filaments that make-up a myofibril (actin and myosin), in our muscles the myosin filament is made up of three different muscle fiber types. There is type I, IIa, IIb and IIx that have different characteristics and predominance in athletes. Type I, is the slow twitch fiber and it is common in long distance runners and also present in everyone; there is also type IIb which is a fast twitch fiber which produces the maximum force production and contraction velocity in the body and it is not so common in the average person but prevalent in sprinters; then there is type IIa which is also a fast twitch fiber but lies in between type I and IIb in force production and contraction velocity, it is present in most individuals since it has aerobic and anaerobic characteristics.

Muscle fiber types are predetermined by genetics, so it is either you are born a sprinter or you are not but studies have shown that type IIx to be a `default’ fiber in humans where activity is absent but has abilities to be converted either to type IIa or type IIb. This is a slight change of about 2%-10% and is based on the training one does, and after the training stops the muscle fiber goes back to its normal state in about a month or more.

	Type I fibers	Type II a fibers	Type II x fibers	Type II b fibers
Contraction time	Slow	Moderately Fast	Fast	Very fast
Size of motor neuron	Small	Medium	Large	Very large
Resistance to fatigue	High	Fairly high	Intermediate	Low
Activity Used for	Aerobic	Long-term anaerobic	Short-term anaerobic	Short-term anaerobic
Maximum duration of use	Hours	<30 minutes	<5 minutes	<1 minute
Power produced	Low	Medium	High	Very high
Mitochondrial density	High	High	Medium	Low
Capillary density	High	Intermediate	Low	Low
Oxidative capacity	High	High	Intermediate	Low
Glycolytic capacity	Low	High	High	High
Major storage fuel	Triglycerides	Creatine phosphate, glycogen	Creatine phosphate, glycogen	Creatine phosphate, glycogen
Myosin heavy chain, human genes	MYH7	MYH2	MYH1	MYH4

Khay Zondo

Question: Does clothing or the latest shoes help you physiologically perform faster or better??

Nike Golf introduces ground-breaking technology

On Thursday the 17^th February Nike Golf unveiled it’s all New 20XI (twenty-X-I) Franchise. This new ball features a revolutionary ball technology that will dramatically enhance the performance of golfers worldwide. It has taken 4 years of research and testing at Nike Golf Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. This game altering technology makes the traditional rubber core obsolete with the introduction of a new resin material. “Resin is a highly neutralized polymer that’s a faster and lighter material engineered to produce a longer distance and more controlled shots.” 

Two versions of the 20XI will be launched, the 20XI-X (tour- level distance) and the 20XI-S (tour-level spin). Both balls deliver on faster speed, higher MOI and steeper spin slope. However the subtle difference between the two is that  the 20XI-X is optimized to reduce excessive drive spin to maximize achievable distance. In contrast the 20XI-S has a softer cover for enhanced greenside spin and control.

The first-of-its-kind golf technology has led to a reduction in manufacturing steps and allows for 54% improvement in the products consistency due to a resin core vs. rubber core.  The ball technology has fulfilled three critical performance aspects: more distance off the tee, straight ball flight and more control around the greens. The technology has gotten the stamp of approval from a number of Nike athletes. Both versions will be made available on 29^th April 2011 in North America.

Without a doubt the creation of the Nike 20XI Franchise is a breakthrough in the area of Sports Science and technology in golf. This technology seems to make the game of golf alot easier and adds to spectators’ enjoyment as top golfers will definitely be playing an even better standard of golf in months to come.

I think the debate is one of using natural ability and talent or making use of technical advantage in the form of enhanced sports equipment. Does this not steal from the precision that is required by players of the game? And defeat the beauty of the game which lies in trying to perfect it.

Source:www.iewy.com/17480-nike-golf-introduces-ground-breaking-technology-never-before-seen-in-golf-balls-with-the-introduction-of-the-nike-20xi-franchise.html


Written by : Jade Davids

Debut of the Nike All-Star sneakers at the All-Star Weekend

In a press release on Thursday, 17^th February it was made known that Nike is debuting a new look of signature sneakers of their sponsored NBA players LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant. At the All-Star weekend which took place last Friday 18^th to Sunday 20^th at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. The shoes of these MVPs include a new technology that is meant to create a 3-D illusion on the sneakers.

The technology includes a “Lenticular material” that is placed in strategic areas (tongues of the sneakers and logos) on the shoe to create the effect of three-dimensional moving images.

My personal thoughts are that Nike has definitely tried to come up with something new to sell and please their consumers. But honestly from a performance point of view this technology contributes nil. It doesn’t claim to make one faster, stronger or even better at their game. Aesthetically I guess it’s giving basketball sneakers more of a fashionable edge. I think the use of the word technology has been misused or is misleading.

My question to you, Is it an added bonus for spectators watching the game? Or is it just a fashion fad that sports people will end up falling for?

source: www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2011/02/17/2011-02-17_lebron_james_kobe_bryant_and_kevin_durant_to_debut_allstar_edition_sneakers_at_a.html#ixzz1EDUZWa5h


Written by : Jade Davids