Olympic athletes and their high-tech gear

This has been a busy summer of sports. It started with the big ICC T20 World Cup win for India in the West Indies. Then came the Euros where Spain’s young guns spun circles around every single opponent on their way to a comfortable victory in Germany. The Carlos Alcaraz show at the French Open and Wimbledon was squeezed between all of this, and now we are watching the Paris Olympics. Clearly, this is the season to do everything that star athletes do. Using the same products and equipment as the athletes should be reason enough not to slack off your training despite the heat or rain the weather gods have been subjecting us to. In case you were wondering where to look, here’s a quick round up of the latest, innovative gear being used in the Paris Olympics: 

Trainers: The Indian athletes competing at the Olympics received a suitcase, a carry-on suitcase and a backpack from Puma with everything they are likely to need in Paris. Among the gear, there is a pair of the company’s top line trainers: Fast-R Nitro Elite 2. Another pair that you would find on several Olympians’ feet is the Pegasus 41. One of Nike’s most popular all-round shoes, it’s the 41st iteration of a shoe that was originally designed for recreational long-distance runners.

Also read: How strength training powers India’s top athletes

Nutrition and Hydration: At the elite levels of sports, where the finest of margins make a huge difference, there are minor differences in nutrition and hydration intake depending on the sport, training phase and the athlete’s individual needs. “Informed sports choices help long-term nutrition plans. More intense sports such as badminton, consumption of energy gels is higher. While swimmers generally take a gel pre-workout, one of our shooters uses BCAA mainly for recovery a day after competition,” says Vijayaraghavan Venugopal, co-founder and CEO of Fast n Up. Many of the Indian athletes currently in Paris, including steeplechaser and multiple national record holder Avinash Sable, middle distance runner Ankita Dhyani and several shooters, badminton and hockey players, use Fast n Up energy gels, whey protein advance and Reload hydration supplements. 

Oakley Sphaera and BXTR: Every single cricketer in the Indian Premier League and the ICC T20 World Cup sports a pair of shining, colourful sunglasses from Oakley. Rohit Sharma was sporting the Oakley Sphaera when he lifted the World Cup, while wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is often seen in a pair of BXTR. A lot of athletes in action in Paris 2024 sport a pair of Oakleys too. Another new launch in the Oakley line-up is the Bisphaera, which retains the design basics of the popular Flak Jacket. Given the plentiful sunshine that we receive along with the flies and dust we have to deal with while running or cycling, it's best to wear sunglasses while out. I have used the latter two and prefer the colours and shape of the BXTR.

Game Ready Cryo and Contrast Compression Therapy: One of the machines being used in the Indian recovery room at the Olympics is the Game Ready machine. These machines are used to deliver cryo as well as contrast therapy to athletes post-training or after a game. This is also extensively used in athlete rehab after an injury. The machines help fatigued muscles recover quickly. 

Normatec Air Compression Sleeves: Elite footballers across Europe lug a backpack with Normatec recovery leg sleeves to the ground on every game day. The Indian recovery room in Paris too has them handy for our athletes. The Normatec recovery system uses air compression to massage legs and helps improve blood circulation. Many players use it both pre- and post-game as it has pre-programmed therapies depending on what one might need, including a mode that can help you sleep. 

Sleep Pods: News has it that Indian Olympians are lining up one after the other to use the three sleep pods that have been purchased by the Sports Authority of India to help athletes combat their sleep issues. The Great Britain Olympic squad too has installed eight sleep pods for their athletes in Paris. These extremely hi-tech devices are equipped with a comfortable mattress, partial external noise reduction, finger touch door operation and ample ventilation. 

Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.

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