Science on the starting blocks
In August, we look at the social impact of mega events such as the Olympic Games, the links between sports and society, the benefits of high-intensity interval training, and how, one day, part of your football boots could have scored a winning goal at the World Cup, if shoemaker adidas gets its way.
The ever-increasing cost of holding large sporting events like the Olympic Games or the World Cup means host cities are looking for a lasting legacy in their towns as well. But experience shows that this doesn’t always work out as planned.
Just after a race, most amateur marathon runners have increased levels of proteins linked to heart damage, Dutch researchers have found.
At this year’s Olympics, athletes will compete in tailor-made trainers designed to help them perform better. With a research programme named Sports Infinity, consumers can now design their own sport shoe, one that never has to be thrown away, that is, according to Glenn Bennett, Executive Board Member of adidas AG.
Top-drawer sports teams that bring together players from all over the world serve as a beacon for an equal-opportunities society, researchers say.
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