WHETHER you put Britain’s Olympic cycling medal haul down to investment, hard work or ‘magic wheels’ there can be little doubt that science plays a growing role in sporting success.

With 29 gold medals on home soil (seven of which were in track cycling) at London 2012, it is hard to imagine a more successful games. As an added bonus we seem to have managed to seriously annoy the French. If there was a gold medal in this discipline, no doubt we would be top of the podium again.

The joke by British cycling supremo Dave Brailsford that the team’s success was down to “specially round wheels” seems to have been entirely lost on the French. Our humour, like our cuisine, always seem to satisfy no other palate but our own.

The greatest miracle is that Bradley Wiggins managed to win gold despite his sideburns, which must have compromised his aerodynamic properties.

Nevertheless, French pique does raise important questions about just how we managed to so comprehensively demolish the opposition, particularly in track cycling.

Some of the answers will no doubt remain closely guarded secrets, well hidden from the prying eyes of Britain’s competitors, but Dave Brailsford seems to have provided the clearest answer so far.

The concept of ‘marginal gains’ – small improvements in each aspect of cycling which add up to improved overall performance – underpins British success.

Things which sound insignificant in themselves such as a cyclist washing his or her hands properly so they suffer less illness, sleeping in the right position and even using the same pillow could be the difference between bronze and silver or silver and gold.

Mark Corbett, a keen cyclist and technical engineer at the University of Worcester , believes science will continue to play a role in pushing the boundaries of human athletic achievement.

The university has 3D motion capture technology which can identify issues such as symmetry of motion and help athletes optimise their performance. Having a bike with the seat at the right height not only improves that rider’s performance but reduces their risk of injury.

The motion capture involves 50 markers being placed on the body which give a 3D image of a person – or an animal such as horse, which could help with equestrian events, where Britain has also enjoyed medal success.

Dr Corbett, aged 39, of Warndon, Worcester, is also a member of Worcester St John’s Cycling Club, which was formed in 1888. He spends between 10 and 15 hours a week cycling and expects a rise in interest in cycling on the back of our Olympic gold rush.

He said: “The success is down to attention to detail. They talk about these marginal gains but they have left no stone unturned in working out what makes their best performance. They have developed their own equipment – and it’s very expensive, but it works. They have the best coaches, that whole support team around the rider, so the rider doesn’t have to do anything unnecessary.”

One feature which is perhaps sometimes overlooked is psychological preparation, which can be as important as fitness, as well as conditioning, nutrition and the commitment and hard work of the athletes and coaches.

Steve Peters, a sports psychiatrist who worked with the British cycling team, encourages athletes to tame their inner ‘chimp’, the emotional and irrational side of your personality. He said: “In the past, particularly on the mental side of things, the approach has been, ‘You’ve either got it or you haven’t’. But you can make a difference by employing someone like Steve Peters. There’s a lot of evidence that suggests that the difference between bronze, silver and gold is up here – it’s mental.”

As part of his research Dr Corbett has looked at the idea that some of the most successful athletes come from troubled backgrounds and may have some psychotic traits which give them a competitive edge, particularly the ability to detach themselves from their emotions.

Dr Corbett said: “In the field of sport the aim is to ‘kill’ your opponent without remorse. You could argue that sport is an activity which rewards psychotic traits. You have got to have that killer instinct.”

Another feature of British cycling success, Dr Corbett says, is getting athletes to peak when it matters.

Our track cyclists had not been as dominant as they had been in the past two years but were still at the top of their game for the Olympics.

He said: “That’s what frustrated the other nations. They thought they were getting on a par with Great Britain and then, all of a sudden, we jump up another gear.”

Dr Corbett hopes the momentum of Britain’s track cycling success can continue after the swansong of Sir Chris Hoy, now our most successful Olympian with six gold medals, and two-time Olympic gold medal winner Victoria Pendleton with gold medal-winning cyclists such as Laura Trott and Jason Kenny rising through the ranks.

The university also has an environmental chamber which simulates the different conditions road cyclists may find themselves in from antarctic conditions to tropical rainforest scenarios. The chamber can vary in temperature and humidity while reduced oxygen levels can simulate cycling at high altitudes.

It is a standing joke, particularly among the Aussies, that the Brits only win medals sitting down.

Jess Ennis certainly wasn’t sitting down when she won gold in the heptathlon or Mo Farrah when he won gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres or boxers Anthony Joshua, Luke Campbell and Nicola Adams when they punched their way to the top of the podium.

Science aside, you can’t beat a bit of bulldog spirit when it comes to the greatest sporting show on earth.

 

PICTURE CAPTION: GOLDEN: The success of medal winning track cylists such as Sir Chris Hoy, (Pic 3), was of course largely due to training and talent, but it was also a result of getting the details right, and for that, research such as that being undertaken at the University of Worcester, Pic 1 and 2), is crucial.