Building on muscles: how built environment design impacts modern sports science

TL;DR

This paper explores how the design of built environments can influence athlete performance and sports science beyond traditional muscle-focused approaches.

Contribution

The paper introduces built environment design science as a novel dimension in sports science for enhancing athlete performance.

Findings

Built environment design can be athlete-centric to improve training outcomes.

Improved integrative accessibility and fan engagement are linked to environment design.

Future research should focus on financial aspects and performance evaluation methods.

Abstract

Sports science focuses on enhancing athletes’ performance, requiring a multifaceted approach. It is evolving from a purely muscle-centred approach to an interdisciplinary one. This paper investigates built environment design science, a dimension less explored in relation to enhancing athlete performance in sports science. The discussion is divided into three categories: athlete-centric training built environment design, enhanced fan and community engagement, and improved integrative accessibility. The study also identifies future research directions, including evidence of the relative impact of the built environment, financial aspects, and performance evaluation methods. Collaboration between sports scientists and scholars in urban design, parks, transportation, landscape architecture and environmental psychology is necessary to advance this topic further.

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