Abstract
Environmental conditions affect outdoor sports performance. This is particularly true in some sports, especially in the sport of sailing, where environmental parameters are extremely influential as they interact directly with strategic analysis of the race area and then with strategic analysis of the performance itself. For these reasons, this research presents an innovative methodology for the strategic analysis of the race course that is based on the integrated assessment of meteorological data measured on the ground, meteorological data measured at sea during the training activities and the results of the CALMET model in hindcasting over a limited scale. The results obtained by the above analysis are then integrated into a graphical representation that provides to coaches and athletes the main strategic directions of the race course in a simple and easy-to-use way. The authors believe that the innovative methodology that has been adopted in the present research may represent a new approach to the integrated analysis of meteorological data on coastal environments. On the other hand, the results of this analysis, if presented with an appropriate technique of meta‑communication adapted to the sport sectors, can be used effectively for the improvement of athletes’ performances.
Highlights
The effect of weather and environmental conditions on sports has been extensively studied over the years [1,2,3,4]
Some new researches about team sports [12,13,14], cycling [15], marathons [16,17], water sports [10], effect of materials and apparels on the sport performance [18,19,20] as well as the recent results obtained by Pezzoli et al [11], show that in sports performance analysis it is necessary to work, in the well-known areas of “Performance Analysis”
The two figures show that during the morning period the prevailing wind blows from the arc SSW-W, while during the afternoon period it blows from NE
Summary
The effect of weather and environmental conditions on sports has been extensively studied over the years [1,2,3,4]. Based upon the studies of Lobozewicz [5] and of Kay and Vamplew [6], Pezzoli and Cristofori [7] have studied the impact of some specific environmental parameters on different sports using a particular impact index divided into five classes This analysis clearly shows that most of the outdoor sport activities, and in particular endurance sports, are strongly influenced by the variation of meteorological parameters. The evaluation of bio-climatological conditions and of thermal comfort in endurance sports, in road cycling, is of fundamental importance for a proper planning of the training program and the nutritional plan, and for a better evaluation of the race strategy [8,9] Despite these observations, the influence of meteorological and environmental conditions is often disregarded in outdoor sport performance assessments [10,11]. Some new researches about team sports [12,13,14], cycling [15], marathons [16,17], water sports [10], effect of materials and apparels on the sport performance [18,19,20] as well as the recent results obtained by Pezzoli et al [11], show that in sports performance analysis it is necessary to work, in the well-known areas of “Performance Analysis”
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