Sports Technology Review focussing on new sports technology and innovation world wide
American Football
Under Armour Metal Speed II Review
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
I purchased these boots prior to playing a 2 day Ultimate Frisbee tournament. This was the teams biggest tournament of the year and without any time to ‘wear’ them in, the boots needed to be comfortable and supporting whilst being waterproof and allowing efficient foot movement and control. There was no bigger stage for me to test the new boots, which largely fulfilled my expectations.
Moisture magnet and breathability
Keeping the foot cool and dry reduces weight and boosts total efficiency. Under Armour HeatGearTM technology has been placed in the upper and performance meshes throughout the shoe to speed up moisture transport and accelerate evaporation. This technology maintains a dry, light microclimate next to the skin, moving moisture away from the foot to the shoes exterior. The tongue is constructed from a highly breathable air mesh which helps accelerate moisture transport and enable ventilated comfort.
Dual Plate Technology
The dual plate design splits the outsole into two components to reduce bulk and complements the foots natural motion. It is claimed to maximise agility and minimise weight, through material reduction. The dual plate design keeps the foot low to the ground for precise moves and explosive acceleration. The insole boards disperse cleat pressure and bridge the space between heel and forefoot, ensuring lightweight mid-foot support and forefoot flexibility. The shoe has been engineered to propel the user forward and reduce the impact on the body.
Progressive Traction
Progressive traction reinvents the traditional round football stud, implementing a built-in directional blade at the base of each stud. The round portion penetrates the ground and maintains rotational capability, while the blade offers additional directional traction.
After wearing these boots for prolonged periods of game time over the course of two days, I can firmly say that I have no issues with comfort. The support and traction provided by the boot both when sprinting into a jump and making hard cuts seemed was second to none and there were no obvious cases of slipping or ankle turning. This is more so highlighted when taking into account the playing conditions I encountered. Following heavy periods of rain, the ground was very muddy and soft, conditions that worsened as the weekend progressed with more play and bad weather. In such conditions it wouldn’t be surprising for water to infiltrate the boot, however at the end of the weekends play this problem had never transpired, with the breathability and waterproofing of the shoe proving to be very successful.
Where I felt the downfall of the shoe came, was in its weight. The show was marketed as being very light, I however did not find this to be the case. The increased weight probably does help with the stability and structure of the boot, but I suspect that when running over dry hard ground the weight of the boot would severely affect the performance of the user.
Overall I feel the boot is very good and provides value for money. However I would suggest that this boot is best suited for use in winter where the ground can soft and muddy in unpredictable weather conditions. Levels of ankle support are high, and I would recommend the boot to a user that participates in a sport which requires jumping, cutting and pushing.
Article by James Jones
UnderArmour E39 wearable electronic garment
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
This weekend at the NFL combine 10-30 athletes unveiled UnderArmour’s new compression garment with an integrated electronics system. The NFL combine is an athletic showcase for the top college football prospects to put their physical skills on display for the all the professional teams. The UA E39 shirt contains a removable sensor pack near the sternum and can give an athlete or coach instant feedback on breathing rate, heart rate, temperature, and movements. The sensor pack, nicknamed ‘the bug,’ contains a triaxial accelerometer developed in conjunction with a Maryland company called Zephyr. The system measures acceleration and change of direction. This can be used to dissect a player’s performance during running or explosion exercises.
The data can be transmitted to wireless devices such as laptops, iPhones, or iPads. The company will roll the garment out slowly starting with UA sponsored athletes and teams with a projected public release in 2012.
Article by Mike Vasquez
UnderArmour creates a new Innovation Lab
Friday, February 25th, 2011
Brief news:
UnderArmour have created an Innovation Lab at their headquarters, Tide Point in Locust Point, Baltimore.
In a post from sportonesource.com:
“The lab allows Under Armour to design, test, and modify new apparel and footwear without having to send the products off-site. Featuring an OptiTrack motion capture camera, environmental chamber, high speed camera, and materials testing lab, the space will test products like Under Armour’s latest product, the e39.
The e39, a body suit set to be revealed at the NFL combine in February, will measure the heart and breathing rates of athletes during rigorous physical training.
“It offers an opportunity to build the world’s best product with no restrictions on us,” Kevin Haley, senior vice president of sports marketing for Under Armour, told the Baltimore Business Journal.
The lab is housed inside the Cheer Building, a 140,000-square-foot refurbished warehouse adjacent to Tide Point. Under Armour announced in January it reached a deal to acquire the entire Tide Point business park for $60.5 million.”
Quickboard – Speed, Reaction and Agility training
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010
I came across the Quickboard recently and was very interested to see a small brand such as this conducting research into the benefits of their product. Therefore I thought it would be of interest to our readers to showcase their product.
According to their website,
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ESPN Sports Science – College Football National Championship Game
Saturday, October 2nd, 2010
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4804143
Tonight is the BCS National Championship game for College Football between the University of Texas and Alabama. Over the past week there has been a lot of commentators discussing the game and this clip from ESPN showcases the actions of one of the players from a scientific perspective.
