BRADENTON, Fla. — SportTechie had the opportunity to tour the IMG Academy Performance and Sport Science Center in Bradenton, Fla. last week as part of a two-day session with Gatorade.
The 65,000 square-foot IMG Center also houses the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, the first satellite location for GSSI in the United States. Its main headquarters is currently in Barrington, Ill.
Together, the two laboratories are central to GSSI’s exercise science, physiology and clinical research in sports nutrition, hydration and overall performance.
Since 2011, the satellite GSSI lab in Florida had occupied a 1,600 square-foot space but as of a couple weeks ago, moved into a new 9,200 square-foot lab within the IMG Center. According to Melissa Anderson, Principle Scientist at the GSSI satellite location, the additional room has allowed her team to work with more athletes at any given time, build out different spaces for testing and be smarter about collecting, digesting and using data to better understand athletes’ performance.
“The thing right now with sports science in the U.S. is it’s gaining in popularity, but there has also been a little bit of pushback lately,” Anderson said. “People are gathering data, but then they don’t know what to do with it. So now you are just collecting data for the sake of collecting data. Athletes don’t like that. If there’s a purpose, then that’s fine. … Let’s collect data if we are going to do something with it.”
SportTechie had the chance to not only run through various testing and fitness exercises while on campus but also learn about the different forms of technology being used by GSSI and its athletes. Below is a recap of the sports technology integration at GSSI (all photos courtesy of Gatorade).
The exterior of the 65,000-square-foot IMG Academy Performance and Sport Science Center, which includes the Gatorade Sports Science Institute.
Another angle of the IMG Academy Performance and Sport Science Center.
The Gatorade Fuel Bar inside the IMG Center.
Air displacement plethysmography test of body composition (BodPod): this is a popular method of determining body composition for athletes of all ages.
Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) test of body composition: this is currently popular in lab-based settings, providing segmental analysis of fat mass, fat-free mass and bone mineral density of different body compartments.
Resting Metabolic Rate: this test provides the number of calories an athlete requires at rest. This data can be used in conjunction with activity energy expenditure values as the foundation for planning an athlete’s diet.
Isokinetic: this equipment can evaluate muscular strength and balance around many joints such as the hip, knee and shoulder. This information is valuable for creating strength programs and monitoring the rehabilitation progress once an athlete’s baseline profile has been generated.
Fuel Profile Test: an evaluation of how an athlete uses carbohydrate and fat for fuel (energy) across a range of exercise intensities. GSSI’s proprietary algorithm then calculates a fuel profile and fuel recommendations for different exercise scenarios.
Another view of the over-sized treadmill used for the Fuel Profile Test.
Additional space at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, which also includes room for cognitive and motor skills testing, basketball drills and an additional over-sized treadmill to measure how athletes’ bodies respond to different exercises and workout environments.
Dr. James Carter oversees the Gatorade Sports Science Institute team/facilities and provides overall strategy for the organization. He is based in Barrington, Ill. at GSSI Headquarters. On the right, Principle Scientist Melissa Anderson is the lead for the U.S. Satellite Lab where she manages the elite athlete service program.
