8 Peculiarities of popular sports that most of the general public does not know

About 3.6 billion people watched at least one minute of the last Olympic Games, in Rio in 2016. Surprising, isn’t it? And many fans practice sports as a form of leisure: football, for example, is played by 4% of the world’s population. However, not everyone knows the details of each sport. Therefore, confusion about certain practices is understandable. Do you know, for example, what are those “bras” worn by soccer players? Or that tennis player scream when he hits the ball?

We, from awesome.club, we discovered the answers to many recurring questions, and some of them left us quite surprised. Check out!

As strange as it may seem, one of the first things to call the public’s attention in tennis competitions is the screams and “groans” of the athletes. Professionals in the area claim that, in this way, the chances of winning will be greater, and there are studies that corroborate this idea.

Generally, you exhale when hitting the ball and the scream increases the intensity of exhalation. Also, screaming at impact muffles the sound of the ball hitting the racket. Sound perception is very important in tennis, because it allows the tennis player to react more quickly and, consequently, determine the timing of the hit.

Many players wear a kind of bra-like chest band underneath their shirt. However, unlike bras, this piece is not sold in ordinary clothing stores, as it does not have the function of supporting, but collecting data on heart rate, metabolism, position in the field and so on. It is a real sensor system to monitor the physical fitness of athletes, reduce the likelihood of injuries and improve the quality of training and performance in matches.

These tapes are called kinesio tape, widely used in sports medicine. They are glued to specific areas of the body — either a muscle or a joint — and are intended to reduce pain after an injury. They can also prevent dangerous movements. Some athletes believe that these tapes improve performance, but there are scientific studies that refute this theory.

Synchronized swimmers wear eye-catching makeup so that both judges and the public can see their facial expressions more clearly. That’s why many of them take great care in layering products and mixing the eyeshadows with a little vaseline (or some liquid fixer) so they don’t come out in the water. There are even some hairstyle tricks. Typically, melted gelatin is placed in the hair to maintain its shape, as well as various colorless bobby pins.

During the most famous race in the world, the Tour de France 🇧🇷Tour de France), cyclists have to cover hundreds of kilometers in several daily stages over many days. They spend hours on the bike and drink liters of water. In such conditions, to go to the bathroom, you have to wait for the running pace to slow down, and then quickly get off the bike and run to the bathroom. However, sometimes it is not possible to stop, so many athletes end up urinating in full movement. In this case, the athletes can help each other, leaning on each other.

When observing the gymnasts’ presentations, we notice that many use special shoes, while others appear barefoot. The choice depends on the preference of each one and the program to be carried out. For example, for dance exercises, which include pirouettes on one leg, it will be much more comfortable to wear a ballet flat, to avoid rubbing directly against the skin.

In other cases, bare feet provide greater grip and allow better mobility, as athletes can grab the devices with their fingers in an emergency, for example.

In competitive swimming, every fraction of a second counts. That’s why athletes pay attention to details in order to be faster. They can, for example, shave the whole body to reduce the hair’s resistance to water and choose lighter models of glasses. The choice of two caps instead of one also follows a logic.

First, they allow for better fixation of the glasses. That is, a cap is put on, then glasses, then the second cap.

Second, they help reduce resistance. Generally, the first cap is made of rubber, which fits well to the head, but causes “creases” to be created on the surface. To avoid this, the second cap should be made of silicone, which is not as comfortable, but leaves the surface smooth.

Professional basketball players always use orange balls with the same pattern. All because the vibrant color draws attention from both players and spectators. The first balls were made of natural leather and had a more brownish tone, which over time became lighter to increase visibility.

The classic pattern of fine black lines also emerged after some time. This choice gives the ball greater durability, allowing it to maintain its rounded shape for longer. In addition, some basketball fans say that these irregularities allow athletes to better control and throw the ball into the basket.

What are your favorite sports? And what curious facts about them could you share with us?