The research theme of exercise includes everything around the athletes and their activities. How and what to measure, biomechanics, data analysis, and feedback to the athlete and/or coach, to name a few.
Below are some researchers who are involved in research around exercise and examples of their research in sports and exercise.
Example Projects
Seraina research the interaction between movement and the heart. In particular, she is interested in how the rhythm of the heart in relation to our movements may best work together during activity. For example, she measure the physiological consequences of synchronized walking using wearable sensors.
What impact can your research have on sports?
“In sports, it is essential to optimize the interaction between movements and the activity of the heart. In the end, it is the heart, which limits how fast we can run a marathon. We can therefore help athletes to measure and improve their performance during their respective sport activities using wearable sensors.”
Why is this important?
”Our research builds a bridge between sport science and cardiovascular physiology. Researchers from both fields have specific knowledge, which together can make a difference. We have the vision that the wearable systems we build can support athletes to take care of their cardiac health, motivate elderly to remain active, and create social environments in which people train together.”
Svein researches injury biomechanics and injury prevention with a particular focus on head and brain injuries. For the past ten years, his team has worked on concussions in ice hockey and American football, where they have recently helped the Swedish Ice Hockey Association with their zero vision for concussions.
What impact can your research have on sport?
"Understanding the basic mechanisms behind concussions, brain injuries, knee injuries and other common sports injuries which can then lead to improved prevention of these injuries and also innovative treatment methods for those who would still be injured," says Svein Kleiven.
Why is this important?
"Unfortunately, concussions are very common in sports and can lead to many young people having to quit early due to long-term consequences. Prevention of sports injuries in general is neglected and the number of concussions in ice hockey and knee injuries in alpine skiing is therefore constantly at a high level with great suffering still. It also certainly has an impact on the number of children and young people who choose a sport and then perhaps those who have major problems with injuries will avoid it."
Mario does research on applying interactive computer graphics and data visualization to understanding human activity. Currently, he is working on two main projects. The first project uses motion capture systems to collect expert surgical skills to be used in training and planning. The second project uses sensor networks, machine learning and immersive visualizations to support predictive maintenance systems for large pharmaceutical industries.
What impact can your research have on sport?
"In my research, I collect data on human motion, times and movements, instrument handling, and procedural knowledge. This is one of the most prolific data sources for sports science, from mastering body motion to tracking rehabilitation."
Why is it important to research this?
"Visual analysis of accurate and objective human activity data is essential for informed decision making at every level of sports, from performance on the field to progress in rehabilitation therapy."
