Since the 1988 Olympic Games, Calgary became the mecca of winter sports. The country’s only operating ski jump and arguably the world’s fastest speed skating ice are just a few miles from each other. Just an hour down the highway there’s another world-class facility in the form of the majestic Rocky Mountains.
Calgary is home to Canadian national teams in speed skating, luge, hockey, swimming, cycling, ski jumping and countless others. The facilities even attract teams from around the world looking to use the many resources developed for the 1988 games.
However, world-class sports facilities aren’t all that draws athletes and coaches alike. The University of Calgary, specifically the Human Performance Lab in Kinesiology, plays a large role in preparing athletes for international competition, including the Olympic Games.
Not only do national team athletes have access to the Olympic Oval, the National Sport Centre Calgary and the Sport Medicine Centre, but they also have an opportunity to participate in research designed to improve their performance and that of future champions.
"I’m interested in the prevention of injury and the improvement of performance," explains Dr. Darren Stefanyshyn, a biomechanics researcher in the HPL. "A lot is an offshoot into equipment, specifically footwear, ski boots, running shoes, speed skates, aspects along those lines."
Stefanyshyn’s research earned him a trip to the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City to attend the speed skating competitions along with Dr. Benn Nigg. Nigg founded the HPL in 1981 and is a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Medical Commission. But it’s not all fun and games. They are on a mission that may contribute to new world records in future competitions.
"We have a grant from the IOC to find the factors that affect the placement of the pivotal point of the clap skate mechanism," says Stefanyshyn.
The clap skate made its first Olympic appearance at Nagano in 1998 and has since revolutionized the skating world. Designed with a blade attached at only one point towards the toe of the boot, it allows for a more efficient transfer of energy from the muscles of the athlete to the ice.
"Where should this hinge be placed? Does it depend on individual characteristics? There’s probably not one optimal position," he says. "There’s probably an optimal position for each athlete."
Now, through the use of high-speed video-approximately 250 frames per second-researchers can analyze the performances of the world’s best at the games.
While Salt Lake City does feature elite athletes going top speeds, researchers are limited to filming only-the IOC isn’t going to allow anything to interrupt athletes’ performances.
"Here [at the U of C] we can get some of the same athletes and start manipulating things, start moving the pivot point."
Other faculty members are involved in the complicated process of mentally and physically preparing the athletes for competition.
Dr. Stephen Norris, involved in the exercise physiology of athlete development, works as a consultant for the National Sport Centre. There, along with his supervisor Dr. David Smith, he develops programs for athletes in practically every sport dealing with snow, ice or water.
"We work primarily with the coaches," he says. "We work in a coach-centered model and help them make better use of their training time."
According to Norris, most coaches spend approximately three hours a day with their athletes. That leaves 21 hours for the other aspects of life that can impact their performance, such as the amount of rest they get, the altitude they live at and the types of food they eat before and after practice. Norris and Smith monitor physiological signs indicating how athletes’ bodies handle the stress placed on them.
"We do blood profile monitoring and monitor a whole array of different parameters like hemoglobin, hematocrite and protein turnover," explains Norris.
They also work with coaches to create schedules that maximize the time spent preparing for competition.
"First and foremost, we deal with the issue of training design and planning periodization of training focusing on a long term view," says Norris. "So already we look to who we have coming through for the Olympic Games in Italy in 2006 and even in 2010."
According to Stefanyshyn, much of his success can be attributed to the unique partnership between the HPL and the Oval.
"It’s because of the Oval, the athletes and the access to them. Having access to facilities as well as an elite group of athletes is amazing."
After all the time spent working with Canadian and international athletes, it’s not surprising that the staff and students in the HPL take a personal interest in the Games. The competition is not only the ultimate test for athletes but also an international showcase for new developments in sport research. Instead of placing bets on the athletes themselves, it’s rumoured that wagers are placed on which running shoe or other piece of sports equipment will take the prize.
In today’s high-tech world, winning an Olympic gold medal takes more than just determination and will. For every athlete travelling to Salt Lake City there is a team of coaches, nutritionists, psychologists, physiologists, biomechanists and others all working towards a common goal. The U of C provides a unique opportunity for the entire team to work together every step of the way. While researchers work at developing sports equipment that could make the difference between a gold and silver medal, coaches work with their support staff to design programs to mentally and physically prepare athletes for the challenges they face in their competition.