Sports science is the study and application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance.

The study of sports science traditionally incorporates areas of physiology, psychology and biomechanics but also includes other topics such as sociology, nutrition and diet, sports technology and performance analysis.

Higher-education degrees in sports science are becoming increasingly popular, with some universities, such as Loughborough University in England, becoming renowned for the high quality of their sports science tuition.

Scientific method

Scientific method as envisaged by one of its early exponents, Sir Isaac Newton, is fundamental to the investigation and acquisition of new knowledge based upon physical evidence. Scientists use observations, hypotheses, and logic to propose explanations for natural phenomena in the form of theories. Predictions from these theories that can be reproducibly tested by experiment are the basis for developing new technology.

Scope and goals

Scientific method can be applied to anything within the range of our experiences. As long as something has an effect on our lives, we can formulate theories and try to predict what this effect might be. The effect itself is an experiment, testing whether our theory was right.

People use scientific methods all the time. They have theories about devices and make predictions how those will react to their actions. If a device does not work as expected, the experiment may disprove their theory. If they adjust their theory, they are applying scientific methods; if they nevertheless stick to their theory because of nonscientific reasons, they are not.

Scientific method does not aim to give an ultimate answer. Its iterative and recursive nature implies that it will never come to an end, so any answer it gives is provisional. Hence it cannot prove or verify anything in a strong sense. However, if a theory passed many experimental tests without being disproved, it is usually considered superior to any theory that has not yet been put to a test