With the London 2012 Olympics long wrapped up and more records broken, athletes can finally take a break. Those responsible for creating high-tech sporting goods, however, should now be working overtime, looking to enhance existing gadgets to improve one’s sporting performance. Granted, certain items such as circulation-enhancing products are still controversial to use during actual sporting events, but that doesn’t mean aids in everyday training are off-limits. In today’s day and age, these possibilities are endless and can have a significant effect on an athlete’s agility, speed and overall mental state. Trend Hunter has been scouring the Web as usual, discovering an abundance of high-tech pieces to boost performance in sport and challenge traditional forms of training.
Die-hard soccer moms will know the patience and determination needed by both players and parents to go far in this sport. From Sunday games scheduled rain or shine to endless hours put in to make that perfect contact between ball and foot, achieving perfection in soccer takes tenacity. To help in the long road towards becoming the next David Beckham, the German soccer team Borussia Dortmund is now using a contraption called the Footbonaut. Designed as a high-tech training device, the Footbobaut is a four-sided contraption that shoots balls and lights up to indicate which targets must be hit. Each athlete’s stats are then recorded and analyzed through charts and visuals, helping the players understand their strengths and weaknesses. While I’m sure the mothers on this team could tell coaches this information with their eyes closed, it always helps to get a little high-tech support.
For some, the thought of running induces automatic feelings of distress and hatred. A brisk walk can certainly help to burn fat and increase mental alertness, but if you are really looking to up your cardio regimen, moving your gait to running level will certainly help. To aid you when in this stressed, but necessary state, the MusicalHeart app adjusts music depending on your heart rate. For example, if you have pre-set the intensity to high and are running at a meager jog listening to Norah Jones, the playlist will shuffle to a more upbeat tune (let’s say something from Dance Mix ’95). By adjusting the music, the MusicalHeart app aims to directly influence one’s motivation. I for one can attest to sensing a burst of energy whenever anything from the Top 40 starts blasting through my headphones.
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