SPORTS TECHNOLOGY, SCIENCE AND COACHING

The Sports Technology Master’s program has been run in Vuokatti, Finland since 2004. Students applying for the program have a technical background and complete a Master’s degree in biomechanics, exercise physiology or in the science of sport coaching and fitness testing. With this combination and with the help of the technical laboratory of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, we have developed research methodologies in particular for Nordic skiing. There has been a special focus on kinetic methods, and recently kinematic methodology has also taken a big step forward. In order to be able to analyze and give proper advice on sport technique it is of importance to understand the biomechanical and physiological demands of different sports. In coaching situation another important aspect is that the feedback to the athlete should be given without too much delay. This paper gives an overwiev of the methodologies and research that have been used and conducted in Vuokatti over the past years.