U-M funds multidisciplinary sport science initiative

A new research effort, buoyed by $3.5 million in seed funding from the university, is focused on optimizing physical performance and health for athletes of all ages and abilities.

Called the Exercise & Sport Science Initiative (ESSI), it will build on the work of more than 100 faculty and student researchers — representing such diverse disciplines as kinesiology, medicine, bioengineering, psychology, nutrition, social sciences and data science — and help connect them to viable partners in industry and government.

Catapult Sports, which develops wearable sensors for measuring performance, is an example of an emerging industry partner. The company began working with the U-M athletic department in February 2017, when it outfitted the men’s basketball team with wearable sensors. The sensors collect 1,000 data points per second on such metrics as biomechanical fatigue, mechanical performance output and the displacement of forces in any direction — information that can be used to improve player safety and enhance performance.

“What’s unique about our partnership with U-M is that we often only work with one program within a school,” said Brian Kopp, Catapult’s president for North America. “Through ESSI, we have an opportunity to work with multiple programs at U-M, looking for ways to assist coaches and athletes in a broader context.”

U-M professors Ellen Arruda and Ron Zernicke are co-directors of the initiative.