Do you like sports? Or, do you like exercising? If you do, then let me congratulate you because regular exercise, or indulging in various sporting activities, is not only good for your health, but it also helps improve your mental and psychological health and wellness. And, if you still think that sports science Australia is a relatively new thing, well read on to learn more surprising, and succulent facts about this unique field of science.
It’s Also Called Exercise Science
According to experts, sports science Australia is also called exercise science because it examines how the human body works during exercise. It also studies and analyzes how physical activities promote and benefit overall health and performance.
Over the past decades, sports science in Australia has become increasingly popular and in demand, especially as an academic discipline among sportsmen and women, as well as regular exercise enthusiasts and hobbyists. But, it’s still a relatively new discipline, considering that it’s been popular for only two, three or four decades.
Oh, before I forget, sports science is actually defined as “a discipline which studies how the healthy human body works during exercise, and how sport and physical activity promote health and performance from cellular to whole body perspectives”.
It Covers/Incorporates Many Aspects of Science
The study of sports science Australia traditionally covers or incorporates various aspects and branches of science. These include physiology (exercise physiology), psychology, anatomy, biomechanics, biochemistry and kinesiology, or the scientific study of human body movement.
Sports Science is Pragmatic
If you are a graduate of sports science Australia, then pleas be informed that your role is a very versatile one. Like for example, you can choose to work as an aerobics instructor, a gym instructor, or an athletic or sports director in a school or professional sports team. In fact, you can work in as many fields as compared to graduates of other disciplines.
And, our team of friendly and seasoned science experts also add that students of sports science Australia can also work in training, coaching, managerial, directorial and corporate wellness roles or positions. They can even work in healthcare firms, with roles like clinical exercise specialists and exercise physiologists.
Sports Science is Often Misunderstood
While the field of sports science Australia is fast gaining popularity and prominence, it surprisingly remains as one of the few disciplines with so many misconceptions and wrong assumptions. These are most likely due to misunderstandings, or wrong interpretations of scientific research.
Like for example, just because some studies say that running damages the knees, it doesn’t mean that you should outright believe this, and stop running altogether! There’s even this common misconception that too much running can cause bad knees. However, according to new research, there’s actually a higher incidence of knee replacements in regular runners as compared to long-distance runners.
Sports Science Traces its Origins to Ancient Greece
While sports science Australia has only gained global prominence during the past 2, 3 or 4 decades, it actually traces its origins back to the very first Olympic Games, which is believed to have taken place in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece.
Since then, human beings have been studying how to enhance their athletic performance, as well as gain an edge over one another in sporting competitions. As a result, sports science was born. This study spread to the United States and in other parts of the planet, and by the 1960s many experts began to investigate, as well as analyze, sports-specific phenomena.
It’s a Multidisciplinary Field
Let me also stress that sports science Australia is not just a discipline which studies how the body works during exercise, but it’s also a multidisciplinary subject which focuses on the scientific principles behind the performance of sports.
This field incorporates various aspects or fields like, as I mentioned earlier, psychology, anatomy, biomechanics, biochemistry, nutrition and biokinetics. For example, you can study biomechanics and psychology to measure what happens to your body during exercise.
You can also study psychology to analyze or evaluate the role of the human mind in sports performance. You can even study nutrition to further learn how the body is able to get the proper vitamins and nutrients to fuel it during exercise or various sporting activities.
It’s a High-Tech Field
Professionals who devote their practice to the field of sports science Australia also utilize various tools and technologies to study and evaluate their field. Like, some sports professionals use 3D cameras to capture how people move when they’re playing certain sporting activities.
Some sports science Australia professionals also use various sensors to monitor pressure, movement, forces and accelerations of the sportsmen. Today, sports scientists also use computers to analyze and observe the movements of athletes, which are recorded on cameras, to help them their performance.
And, the swimwear industry can even thank the field of sports science Australia because modern swimwear has developed to a point where the fabric and designs are actually lighter, faster and more flexible through the water than human skin!
In fact, controversial neck to ankle swimsuits have also been one of the main reasons behind the consistent breaking of many Olympic and World records many times, ever since they were introduced in the year 2000!
The development of new sports-specific software and apps has also led to the rise in the field of “technology-driven” training, wherein coaches and other sporting professionals are willing and able to leverage computer or tech-generated data as a tool for improved athletic performance.
The best way to do this would be to create a culture wherein data isn’t just collected but also shared, discussed, and adopted in the playing field (or pitch, court, rink or whatever venue the athlete is playing in!).
The data generated from the training apps and software can also be stored, and then used to identify patterns like an athlete’s typical training schedule or the type of training that the athlete does most often.
