Year after year, records continue to be broken across nearly every sporting discipline. Competitions are more tightly contested than ever, with margins of victory between elite athletes narrowing to the limit. So how do they keep pushing the boundaries of performance? What is the secret behind those top-level athletes who, like fascinating forces of nature, consistently outperform their rivals to achieve glory – not just once, but in repeated editions?
Success, as we now understand better than ever, demands the convergence (one might say the perfect alignment) of multiple factors: optimal physical condition, proper nutrition, an efficient training plan, quality equipment and, of course, the necessary motivation and psychological stability. Strict international regulations have limited the extent to which many of these factors can be modified, forcing athletes and coaching teams to fight tooth and nail for the smallest possible edge. This is evident, for instance, in sports apparel and equipment, where everything from the design of golf clubs, tennis racquets and bicycles, to swimwear fabrics and the composition of athletic footwear, is tightly controlled and inspected.
However, there remains one field where athletes can still make continual improvements – provided they receive the right support: movement technique, or sports biomechanics. Indeed, today’s top athletes are not just battling their opponents but also striving against themselves, seeking to optimise performance, reduce injury risk and improve comfort – in short, to become more efficient.
The study of human movement – biomechanics – has seen enormous growth in recent years. Today, there is an abundance of scientific literature supporting the core principles that underpin success in each sporting discipline. In other words, we now theoretically understand the movement patterns required to achieve optimal performance. But the question remains: can this movement be measured accurately in training centres or sports labs? How close is an athlete to the ideal technique? This is where motion capture tools come in, and among them, 3D optical motion capture systems stand out as the gold standard. These systems enable sub-millimetre precision tracking of the human body in motion, providing a wide range of objective biomechanical data.
Mario Centeno, Head of Biomechanics at the High Performance Centre (CAR) in León, and Juan García López, Professor of Biomechanics and Dean of the Faculty of Sport Sciences at the University of León, have spent years advising top-tier athletes in Spanish athletics and cycling. Biomechanical testing has become an integral part of their routine, allowing them to closely monitor and assess elite athletes’ biomechanical performance. Their biomechanics lab is equipped with eight high-speed motion capture cameras, recording at 240 frames per second with a resolution of 1.3 MPx. These cameras, combined with STT Systems’ Sports 3DMA motion analysis software, enable real-time, wireless, full-body 3D tracking.
Among the features of this system, Mario highlights “real-time feedback without post-processing delays, biofeedback capabilities to monitor whether the desired biomechanical parameters fall within target ranges, and one-click report generation.” What exactly do they measure? They explain that the system allows effortless monitoring of “symmetries, joint coordination, angular velocities and accelerations at key points, anatomical trajectories in space, and much more.” With access to this broad array of metrics, biomechanics specialists can analyse every detail of movement without resorting to one-size-fits-all solutions.
The CAR in León has welcomed athletes such as Álvaro Martín Uriol, 2018 European Champion in the 20 km race walk; Diego García Carrera, then European silver medallist in the same event, finishing just seconds behind Álvaro; and Marc Tur, Spanish runner-up in the 50 km walk. These are athletes who not only possess exceptional physical abilities, but who also demonstrate the work ethic and openness required to benefit from Juan and Mario’s guidance.
Another frequent visitor to the CAR biomechanics lab is Jesús Ángel García Bragado, who competed in seven Olympic Games and 13 World Championships – the most appearances by any athlete in both competitions. A world champion and three-time world silver medallist in the 50 km walk, Jesús exemplifies how long-term athletic success can benefit from full-body 3D motion analysis: by enabling long-term objective evaluation and correlating postural changes, performance and injury.
Mario recounts one case in particular: “During a test, we noticed the athlete’s arm swing was quite limited. Besides advising him to extend the movement, we used the system’s biofeedback tool. This allowed us to track his arm movement in real time while running and trigger an audible cue when he reached the desired range of motion. In this way, the athlete could practise and internalise the new movement more effectively. Months later, in a follow-up test, we observed a much improved range of motion, and the athlete reported a noticeable technical improvement since the original session.”
Olympian and Spanish national record-holder in the 10,000 m race walk, Raquel González Campos, along with Laura García Caro – U20 national record-holder for the 20 km walk – also use the CAR in León for biomechanical studies.
“This technology helps us a lot because race walking is a very technical discipline,” says José Antonio Quintana, coach of Diego, Marc and Laura. “It gives us information about parameters that affect the gait: asymmetries, loss of contact, forces… That helps us to improve and avoid injuries.”
José Antonio’s training group has been using this service for several years. Generally, each athlete is tested twice per season: first to assess their current gait, and later to evaluate whether the changes implemented have produced results. “Race walking is a highly automatised movement that is difficult to change,” he explains. “But we know that by adjusting certain parameters, the athlete improves, and that builds confidence. You can take risks with pace more safely.”
The vast amount of available scientific research, combined with the practical ability to assess athletes with precision and speed, creates the perfect union of science and training. Juan, Mario and José Antonio understand this and apply it daily – and the results speak for themselves. After all, “what cannot be measured, cannot be improved.”