The Science of Materials in Olympic Sports

By Taha KhanReviewed by Lexie CornerAug 5 2024

Material science plays a crucial role in the sports industry, providing materials with properties designed for durability, lightness, safety, and comfort. This article discusses the science behind sportswear and equipment, and explores material innovations in the world's biggest sporting event: the Olympics.

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Applications of High-Tech Materials in Sport

The impact of materials science on Olympic sports is evident in various sports equipment, including bicycles, athletic shoes, sportswear, and swimming gear.

Advanced Materials in Olympic Bicycles

Due to advancements in materials science, the bicycle has undergone many transformations throughout Olympic history.

Carbon fiber and aluminum have become the standard for high-performance bicycles, offering an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, lightweight frames, and stiff frames. This maximizes power transfer and responsiveness, enabling cyclists to achieve higher speeds with less effort. For instance, in Olympic mountain biking competitions, bikes made with carbon fiber or aluminum frames ensure a lightweight and rigid body for tough off-road terrains.^{1, 2}

While carbon fiber is the go-to material for cycle frames, other components like screws, gears, chains, and hubs utilize aluminum and titanium alloys. These materials offer excellent strength-to-weight ratios, durability, and cost-effectiveness, making them popular choices for various cycling disciplines.^{1, 2}

Innovations in Athletic Footwear

Footwear is crucial in many Olympic sports, including running, cycling, long jump, and high jumps.

High-quality footwear provides athletes with good ground grip, comfort, and safety, achieved through suitable design and materials. For example, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyurethane are used in midsoles for shock absorption and energy return, reducing the impact on athletes' joints and muscles and allowing them to train harder and recover faster.³

Innovations like Nike's VaporMax technology demonstrate how cushioning materials can enhance athletic performance. Developed over seven years with over 120 trials, the Nike VaporMax offers superior comfort and responsiveness with its Max Air platform. The plush foam midsoles and TPU lugs ensure flexibility, cushioning, and stability, while the FlyEase and Flyknit uppers provide a secure, breathable fit.⁴

Another important innovation is carbon fiber plates, which offer excellent energy return and propulsion, enabling athletes to achieve even higher performance levels.⁵

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High-Tech Sportswear and Uniforms

Maintaining hygiene is crucial in any sport, as sweat and moisture can lead to serious health-related problems like staph infections, which can significantly reduce athletic performance.

Modern sportswear addresses this issue with synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon, often combined with advanced treatments. These materials excel at wicking moisture away from the skin, regulating body temperature, improving comfort, and reducing the risk of chafing.

In sports like track cycling, cyclists wear skinsuits made of Lycra or nylon to reduce drag, allowing them to go faster with minimal air resistance.^{2, 6} Compression garments are also widely used in various sports to improve performance and recovery. These garments use elastic fabrics with graduated compression to provide support, reduce muscle vibration, and enhance blood flow.

Seamless Sportswear Design

In a 2024 study, researchers examined the requirements for protection and comfort in sportswear for athletes. They developed a seamless sportswear design using ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to address these needs. The study focused on integral zoning of sportswear, optimizing areas for abrasion resistance, cut resistance, cooling, air permeability, and moisture management.⁶

Testing revealed that the UHMWPE seamless sportswear exhibited exceptional protective qualities, surpassing abrasion and cut resistance standards while providing enhanced comfort through better air permeability and contact coolness. This design approach has the potential to improve both safety and performance for athletes at the Olympics.⁶

Protective Gear: Safety and Performance

Many Olympic sports involve the risk of injury, prompting athletes to wear specific equipment such as helmets and padding to minimize risks and ensure a safe environment.

The brain is one of the most delicate organs of the human body and needs extra protection in sports like cycling, skiing, and hockey, which have a high risk of head injuries.

Helmets and pads made of advanced foams, composite materials, and hard shells provide superior impact protection for athletes in these sports. These materials are designed to absorb and distribute energy, minimizing the risk of head injuries.

For instance, hydrophilic porous materials swollen with water can be used in helmet padding to prevent concussions by reducing deceleration rates during impact.⁷

Athletes also wear special padding on areas where bones lack muscle protection, such as the shins, elbows, and knees. These pads are made of foams with varying densities and energy absorption properties to cushion impacts and protect athletes from injuries.

High-Tech Materials in Paralympic Sports

Materials science has also made significant contributions to Paralympic sports, particularly in developing advanced prosthetics and wheelchairs. Titanium is commonly used in prosthetic limbs for its strength, lightweight, and flexibility, enabling Paralympic athletes to perform better. Similarly, high-performance wheelchairs made from materials like aluminum and carbon fiber are designed to enhance speed, agility, and durability.^{8, 9}

Materials science has also played a crucial role in developing assistive devices, such as specialized sports equipment and adaptive clothing, which help Paralympic athletes compete at the highest level.

The Future of Materials Science in Olympic Sports

Material science has revolutionized sports in many ways and is expected to continue advancing the field. For instance, advancements in nanotechnology could lead to even lighter, stronger, and more durable equipment, as well as enhance the performance of fabrics and protective gear.

A 2022 study emphasized the significant role of nanotechnology in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The study highlights key advancements, including the application of nanoscience in ice skating for optimal friction, wearable monitoring devices for real-time physiological data, and improved skiing equipment for better performance and protection.

Additionally, the study mentioned flexible graphene-based heating textiles that provide crucial warmth during outdoor events, showcasing the important role nanotechnology could play in future Olympic sports.¹⁰

Similarly, we may see the casual use of smart fabrics that integrate sensors and electronics into sportswear to provide real-time performance data. This innovation would help Olympic athletes optimize their training and competition strategies for better performance.

As technology advances, we can anticipate even more groundbreaking developments that will redefine the boundaries of athletic performance.

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References and Further Reading

1. Ueda, M., Ikeda, M. (2019). Sporting goods: Components for bicycles. In Titanium for Consumer Applications. Elsevier. doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815820-3.00007-1
2. Nee, L. (2024). Cycling 101: Olympic equipment. [Online] NBC Olympics. Available at: https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/cycling-101-olympic-equipment (Accessed on July 27, 2024)
3. Hao, Q., Yao, Z., Choi, W. J., Kim, H. (2024). Effect of ethylene vinyl acetate foam-graphene composite material on the mechanical properties of sports footwear. Alexandria Engineering Journal. doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2024.04.006
4. Nike. (n.d.). VaporMax Trainers. [Online] Nike. Available at: https://www.nike.com/gb/w/vapormax-shoes-220dzy7ok (Accessed on July 27, 2024)
5. Gregory, RW., Axtell, RS., Robertson, MI., Lunn, WR. (2018). The effects of a carbon fiber shoe insole on athletic performance in collegiate athletes. J. Sports Sci. doi.org/10.17265/2332-7839/2018.04.001
6. Su, T., Yu, X., Cong, H. (2024). Design and development of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene seamless sportswear. The Journal of The Textile Institute. doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2024.2370601
7. Sokoloff, JB. (2022). Hydrophilic porous materials as helmet padding able to prevent traumatic brain injuries. Journal of Applied Physics. doi.org/10.1063/5.0114107
8. Tiele, A., et al. (2017). Design and development of a novel upper-limb cycling prosthesis. Bioengineering. doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering4040089
9. Curran, SA., Lyle, DK. (2012). Adaptive sports ankle prosthetics. Prosthetics and Orthotics International. doi.org/10.1177/0309364612453249
10. He, C., Cao, M., Liu, J., Ge, Z., Zhou, R., Xu, H. (2022). Nanotechnology in the Olympic Winter Games and beyond. ACS Publications. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c03346  

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