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10
stem in sports: technology
WORDS TO
UNDERSTAND
algorithm
a series
of instructions or
code given to a
computer to
perform a task
stamina
a measure-
ment of how long or
hard a person can
maintain an activity
were school kids (and some of them still
are
in school, of course: colleges are among the
biggest tech users in sports). From studying
video on iPads in the dugout or on the team
bus, to watching computer models of their
swings or their motion, athletes are calling on
the tech they’ve grown up with to help them
win. Meanwhile, scientists are giving these
athletes a wide array of tools to improve per-
formance and success.
There’s an App for That
H
andheld
electronics
are
one
of
the most
vis
-
ible and popular uses of tech in sports.
According to a Nielsen poll, more
than 46 million Americans accessed fitness
or health apps in 2014. Smartphones can be
loaded with a wide variety of apps that do ev-
erything from count a runner’s steps to show
how far a soccer player has run during a game.
There are literally hundreds of apps that can
track data for athletes. Some are worn dur-
ing exercise. The sensors in the smartphone
record pace, heart rate, calories burned, dura-
tion, and other factors. Some apps can then
provide a post-workout analysis so athletes
can see how they are improving . . . or not!
Such apps also keep track of ongoing workout
data so athletes can compare their progress.
Other apps guide athletes through workouts,
either by audio or video “coaching.”