How sport science is helping Singapore’s elite athletes gain a competitive edge

Singapore The aim is to use data alongside the observations of athletes and coaches, helping them make more informed decisions about training and competition. Athletes can prepare for different competition environments in a chamber that simulates conditions such as temperature, humidity and altitude. (Image: CNA) New: You can now listen to articles. This audio is generated by an AI tool. 14 Sep 2026 04:53PM SINGAPORE: Singapore’s elite athletes are increasingly tapping sport science and technology to uncover small performance gains that may not be visible to the naked eye.With the Asian Games starting on Saturday (Sep 19), such marginal improvements could prove crucial as athletes seek an edge over their competitors on one of the region’s biggest sporting stages.Sport Singapore’s (SportSG) High Performance Sport Institute draws on areas including physiology, strength and conditioning, psychology and performance analysis to identify where individual athletes can improve.The aim is to use data alongside the observations of athletes and coaches, helping them make more informed decisions about training and competition.“If a quick 1 to 2 per cent of anything can make a difference, you probably get an advantage,” said Dr Low Chee Yong, head of sport science and sport medicine at the institute.“At the highest level, even the 1 or 2 per cent can lose a chance of silver or gold."But he stressed that collecting data alone is not enough. The findings ultimately have to translate into meaningful changes in an athlete’s training.“If everyone is unique, not one set of instructions can work for everyone,” said Dr Low.“But with our data, now the coach is able to fine tune the instruction and help the athlete get the improvement they need.” MEASURING WHAT THE EYE MISSESPhysiology tests measure indicators such as heart rate, oxygen use and power output as exercise intensity increases, giving coaches a clearer picture of how an athlete’s body responds to different demands.The data can help coaches determine appropriate training loads, monitor an athlete’s physical condition and track how efficiently they are using energy.Movement tests can similarly pick up subtle differences that may be difficult for coaches to spot through observation alone.Force plates, for instance, can measure jump height and differences in force between an athlete’s left and right sides, as well as provide indications of fatigue.Strength and conditioning coach Kenny Tan said repeated jump tests during a training cycle can give coaches a better understanding of their athletes’ condition and readiness.“In a tough training cycle, if the athlete's counter movement jump height decreases by a certain amount, you can actually see that maybe the athlete is accumulating quite a bit of fatigue,” he added.“With that information, you can actually communicate with the coaches and adjust training accordingly.” FROM TACTICS TO MENTAL PERFORMANCEOther tools measure reaction speed and agility, while performance analysis can be used to examine opponents’ movements, positioning and tactics in greater detail.Eye tracking, computer modelling and predictive analytics can also help uncover patterns in competition that athletes and coaches can use to gain a tactical advantage.Athletes can also prepare for different competition environments in a chamber that simulates conditions such as temperature, humidity and altitude. For cyclists, that can mean reducing the strain of regulating body temperature, so they can focus on producing more power.But sport science extends beyond physical conditioning and performance.Dr Shermaine Low, a sport psychologist at the High Performance Sport Institute, said changes in an athlete’s behaviour or performance can be signs that they are struggling with pressure.“There are some athletes who ... don't say anything at all, and then that performance drops, they start to withdraw,” she added.“There's also expectations from the public that could be put on these athletes too, and so there's a lot of stress.”