The Wobbly Wheel
The following are concepts that we what we discuss.
About a year ago, I tried explaining to a football coach what it was that BEAST Analytics actually did, and how it was applicable to his players. The following is an analogy that was created during that conversation, and it has become the description that seems to explain it best.
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“Picture yourself in a grocery store with a friend. You both pick a shopping cart. Your friend chooses a cart that works perfectly fine. You happen to pick one that has a wobbly wheel, that shakes and scrapes.
At that point, you both decide to go to the milk section first. At the time you arrive at the milk section, you have both gotten there in the same amount of time, and you have both covered the same distance.
The difference, though, is that it took you more energy to get there, and it has caused way more stress on your body.”
Here’s how it is relevant…
“Picture watching two football players train for the NFL combine. They both are interested in preparing for their 40-yard dash time. Ironically, during their training they are both timed at the exact same 40-yard dash time.
If you know who ran their 40 with less energy expenditure, and/or who ran their 40 with less stress on their body, YOU WOULD KNOW WHO WAS THEORETICALLY MORE EFFICIENT.
It’s about more than how fast did they get there.
It’s about what did their body endure to get there.
For those people who want another example, but with a little more 'scientific' background than the Wobbly Wheel...
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"Imagine if a female college volleyball program had only one scholarship remaining. And it ultimately came down to two athletes, who both jumped exactly the same height when tested.
If both athletes jumped the same height, but one did it with less kinetic energy, which athlete is more efficient?"
Answer:
The athlete who jumps with less kinetic energy is more efficient.
The athlete who jumps the same height but with less kinetic energy demonstrates greater efficiency in movement. This is because they achieve the same work output (height) with less input energy, reflecting more effective mechanics and energy utilization.
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Here's why:
In human movement and biomechanics, efficiency is defined as the ratio of useful work output to the total energy expended. If two athletes reach the same height, the one using less kinetic energy at takeoff does so with less input energy.
Efficiency can be calculated as:
If the kinetic energy is lower but the height is the same, then also lower. A lower velocity with the same height indicates a more efficient transfer of energy, likely due to better biomechanics or more effective force application.
Conclusion:
- Lower kinetic energy suggests that the athlete used less force or applied the force more effectively.
- It also suggests better utilization of energy storage (e.g., from tendons and muscles) and a more optimal coordination pattern.
- This indicates a higher conversion rate of metabolic energy into mechanical work, which is a hallmark of efficiency in athletic performance.
