4 Areas Where Accurate Measurements Impact Athletic Performance

Sportscasters claim that we've entered into an era of scientific training where the quality of gear and methods outpaces raw athletic ability. Naturally, sports fans will debate these findings back and forth. They'll probably be the topic of discussion for years to come.

One thing that's true, however, is that accurate measurements can impact on-field performance. Anyone who has argued about whether a first down was over the line or not can probably identify with all five of these modern-day examples.

1. Food and Nutrition

One of the more visible places where measurement equipment comes into play is in the field of sports nutrition. Feeding athletes the right food in the right amounts is difficult enough without enough tools to do it. By giving trainers a meal plan that has specific amounts of food spelled out in equally specific ways, coaches can be certain that their players are getting everything they need to succeed. Some players might need more plant-based oils while others need more protein, for instance. Accurate measurements ensure that these amounts stay grounded in reality.

2. Training Time

In a way, time itself is a quantity to be measured. Even if you were to ignore that, you'd probably realize that different people need to train in different ways. Some people might have to spend a greater amount of time in the gym to get the same effect that others get when they spend much less time there. Measuring muscle tension and the amount of weight used to challenge an athlete can help coaches be certain that they've provided their players with enough time in the gym. Too much training can actually tire people out, so they'll also want to use this information to come up with upper boundaries as well.

3. Body Measurement

Perhaps the most obvious place where measurement quality has an impact on athletes is in the field of body measurement. Trainers need to know how tall their athletes are as well as how much they weigh. Density is an important figure too, since someone could theoretically be very big but mostly have muscle mass and therefore outperform those who are smaller with a greater percentage of fatty tissue. Having a wide selection of types of metrology tools on hand is one of the better ways to ensure that everything related to body mass and size measurements remains standard at all times.

4. Sports Equipment and Manufacturing

Engineers have come up with ways of making ever smaller materials that respond better to performance on the court or field. That's why modern tennis rackets are made out of carbon nanofibers, which are the same material used to make certain types of motorsports gear. Bats, helmets, and even skateboards have been impacted by these changes. This kind of manufacturing is done on an extremely small scale, which means accurate measurements are a must. In fact, sports equipment firms have had to come up with new tools to take care of these jobs.

Many factors go into an athlete’s performance, and having accurate measurements is one of the ways to ensure an athlete is at the top of their game.