How has technology changed the way people perform, train for and participate in physical activity?
Analyse how technology influences performance, training, officiating and participation in physical activity, and evaluate its benefits and drawbacks.
How equipment, wearables, video analysis, officiating technology and digital apps influence performance, training and participation, and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
You must analyse how technology influences performance, training, officiating and participation, and evaluate both its benefits and its drawbacks.
Technology in performance
Equipment and materials directly change what is possible: lighter and stronger materials in bikes, racquets and footwear, aerodynamic clothing, and improved playing surfaces. These can raise performance and reduce injury, but they can also create an uneven playing field when only wealthy athletes or nations can afford them.
Technology in training
- Wearables (heart-rate monitors, GPS units, accelerometers) provide objective data on workload, intensity and recovery, allowing precise application of training principles such as overload and recovery.
- Video and biomechanical analysis let coaches break down technique frame by frame and give accurate knowledge-of-performance feedback.
- Simulation and virtual training allow safe, repeatable practice of decisions and skills.
These tools make training more individualised and evidence-based, supporting better program design and the Performance Improvement task.
Technology in officiating
Video assistant referees, goal-line technology, ball-tracking and electronic timing improve the accuracy and fairness of decisions. The benefits are fairer outcomes and reduced human error; the drawbacks include slowing the game, high cost that limits use to elite levels, and debate about how it changes the flow and feel of sport.
Technology and participation
Apps, online workouts, fitness trackers and social platforms make activity more accessible and motivating for many people, supporting goal setting and self-monitoring. At the same time, screen-based sedentary technology competes with active time, and digital access is unequal, so technology can both raise and lower participation across different groups.
Evaluating technology
A balanced analysis weighs benefits (better performance, fairer decisions, individualised training, wider access, safety) against drawbacks (cost and access inequity, over-reliance that can erode intrinsic skill or judgement, ethical and fairness concerns, and reduced spontaneity). Whether a technology is positive depends on context, cost and who can use it.