Short term technological preparation

Their are 7 factors that effect kit and equipment, the most obvious are:

• climate - temp, humidity, wind
• playind surface 
• indoor/outdoor 
• protection/reducing injury

The kit needs to keep a constant core temperature, may be doe by compression clothing

Some sports where air or fluid dynamics influence performance, athletes may use strategies or clothing designed to reduce the effect

E.g. swimmers and cyclists "shave down" before performance, not everyone believes it works, may be a pre-game ritual

E.g. swimmers and sprinters may use aerodynamic clothing in an attempt to reduce drag and improve speed and power

Performers and teams need to analyse the environemntal conditions and adjust playing kit and equipment in responce

May influence tactics a team uses e.g. in football when playing better teams reducing width of pitch to stop them playing

Cultural factors may include amount of support team recieves, pressure from media and in some cases from governments and states

Supplements are legal additions to an athletes diet, as sporting bodies dont deem them to be harmful to health

According WADA (world anti-doping agency) says there are 3 factors that influence the legality of ergogenic substances and at least 2 factors must be applicable in order for the substance to be illegal, they are:

• physically enhance performance of athlete
• be detrimental to athletes health
• conflict with generral spirit of sport

Drug taking is gamesmanship - something taken to increase performance and chance of winning

Erge to win means temptation to take drugs is increased e.g. Ben Johnson was stripped of his 1988 gold medal but continued to make money from his fame

A substance is only illegal if it is on the International Olympic Committees list of banned substances

Athletes need to keep their core temperature constant, when the temp rises blood is diverted away from the muscles to the skin in order to cool down decreasing performance

At the Athens Olympics in 2004 many athletes use ice vests and hoods during their warm up and during breaks in play to maintain core temp

England football team used ice vests during 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea

The issues with ice vests are the costs and logistics of supplying ice and power for refridgeration on the pitch side