Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre

The Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre (SWSRC) is one of Sweden’s leading environments for sports-based research. NVC is a research centre that is part of the Department of Health Sciences (HLV) at Mid Sweden University and Campus Östersund.

SWSRC is an Olympic test and training centre for winter sports in Sweden where the foundation is strong research into sports, performance and health. The research at SWSRC integrates physiology and biomechanics with the aim of achieving a more inclusive understanding of factors that influence performance. Leading companies in the sports and outdoors sectors are using the SWSRC for R&D when developing new products. The SWSRC also facilitates a student laboratory with links to a range of degrees and courses at Mid Sweden University.

Accurate and in-depth analyses

Eleven Oqus cameras are mounted in the Optimisation Lab at the SWSRC to facilitate fast and easy kinematic measurements. In addition to the motion capture system, multiple different systems are used collect kinetic and physiological data, e.g., Kistler force plates, Novel and MotiCon pressure insoles, Teckscan pressure sensors, Noraxon 16 channel EMG system as well as both stationary and portable spiroergometry systems.

The combination of different systems allows for accurate and in-depth analyses of different sports where the fields of biomechanics and physiology are integrated. The laboratory setup is also used for clinical biomechanical research and since 2015, para-sports and customization of para-sports equipment are two large research areas at the SWSRC.

Many outdoor projects

The SWSRC is a meeting-point for athletes, coaches, sports federations, researches and sports manufacturers, which generates innovative and relevant question formulations which are at the forefront on international research. Due to the development of the Oqus cameras, many projects are being performed outside in field, e.g. skicross, ice hockey and cross-country skiing. This allows researches and coaches to analyse athletes when they perform their different sports in the right environment, which increases the relevance and the applicability of the results. The data are used to analyse and optimize both athletic performance and sports equipment. The possibility to collect kinematics in the field is important in order to properly study the behavior of sports equipment and how it affects technique and athletic performance.

The possibility to collect kinematics and kinetics in the laboratory as well as out in the field generates new research possibilities as there several sports which are difficult to analyse inside a laboratory, e.g., skicross and running on uneven ground. This allows us to work even closer with coaches and athletes as we have the possibility to more our laboratory out the field where the different sports are.

The high accuracy combined with the movability of the Qualisys system are really important for us as most of our projects involve customized test setups, either inside the laboratory or outside in the field.

Mikael Swarén Laboratorieingenjör, Avdelningen för Hälsovetenskap (HLV), Mittuniversitetet
http://www.miun.se/nvc
https://www.facebook.com/vintersportcentrum
Mikael Swarén