This is going to be a rapidly evolving field, as, within five years, we’ll probably have smart shirts that can measure all of that, but do it faster and more accurately than now.
– Dave Tenney Seattle Sounders FC Fitness Coach
Weak Glutes? Lack of Motor Skill? A lot of talk about the subjective in the therapy and performance world because no measurements means anyone can come up with theory to support their interests. Time after time I see magic shows disguised as hands on demos’ at conferences but where is the data? Hands on is often slight of hand when we are seeing muscle tests and rapid changes on stage. When I hear the words movement quality I wonder what that means to a biomechanics professional who lives in the world of evaluating it objectively.
EMG is evolving, and now wireless EMG with BTS is at a point that it’s team friendly, meaning it can be used in a difficult group setting without much prep time. Another potentially major player is neurosky, a brain wave sensor. The Sport Science Lab is no longer an outside area, as the lab is more of finding the truth than a specific location. Some readers will ask is any of this is necessary? Perhaps not, but when athletes are hurt, even those that are in Cuba and Jamaica are using million dollar equipment to get healthy with MRIs. With Robles using Optojump to get air time and contact distances of his hurdle pattern, that information was invaluable to see what the greats are actually doing.
The best sports labs look like normal weight rooms and data is captured naturally and passively with wireless technology and innovative sensors. The trick is to do the basics and the fundamental with mastery . When teams can’t share basic metrics such as attendance and testing tables within seconds, I wonder why they are interested in Omegawave and Tendo Scores? Like I mentioned before, just do normal therapy and training to capture what you are doing so you get a training or therapeutic effect instead of testing and getting data confirming what one knows.