How sport science is helping Singapore’s elite athletes gain a competitive edge

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s elite athletes are increasingly tapping sport science and technology to uncover small performance gains that may not be visible to the naked eye.

With the Asian Games starting on Saturday (Sep 19), such marginal improvements could prove crucial as athletes seek an edge over their competitors on one of the region’s biggest sporting stages.

Sport Singapore’s (SportSG) High Performance Sport Institute draws on areas including physiology, strength and conditioning, psychology and performance analysis to identify where individual athletes can improve.

The aim is to use data alongside the observations of athletes and coaches, helping them make more informed decisions about training and competition.

“If a quick 1 to 2 per cent of anything can make a difference, you probably get an advantage,” said Dr Low Chee Yong, head of sport science and sport medicine at the institute.

“At the highest level, even the 1 or 2 per cent can lose a chance of silver or gold."

But he stressed that collecting data alone is not enough. The findings ultimately have to translate into meaningful changes in an athlete’s training.

“If everyone is unique, not one set of instructions can work for everyone,” said Dr Low.

“But with our data, now the coach is able to fine tune the instruction and help the athlete get the improvement they need.”

Physiology tests measure indicators such as heart rate, oxygen use and power output as exercise intensity increases, giving coaches a clearer picture of how an athlete’s body responds to different demands.

The data can help coaches determine appropriate training loads, monitor an athlete’s physical condition and track how efficiently they are using energy.

Movement tests can similarly pick up subtle