Complexity as Interplay Between Science and Sport

Abstract

Complexity is a concept that clearly escapes to a general definition and any universal metric. In this work, it is argued about the relevance of this concept in modern science with particular emphasis to the interplay with sport and some related applications. In particular, it is claimed that suitable measures of complexity can be of help in analyzing and monitoring the performance of athletes as well as to predict possible injuries during exercise. As a matter of fact, some electro- physiological signals that can be easily acquired through noninvasive procedures may contain relevant information about the status of the muscles of athletes both during exercise and at rest. In particular, the analysis of the electromyogram (EMG), whose amplitude has been used for researches on myo-electrically controlled elbows, wrists, and hands, can also yield important clues in biofeedback applications, in ergonomic assessment. For example, in biomechanics, it is used to estimate the torque produced about a joint. Complexity can detect the level of compromising of muscle force production with fatigue. Thus, the extracted information can be useful for predicting muscular injuries and to properly guide athletes’ recovery. In this paper, it is highlighted the role of complexity measures carried out on the related physiological time-series.