If you stayed up to watch the opening ceremony of the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris, you would have witnessed the historic boat parade down the River Seine. This display was the first time the Olympic opening ceremony was staged outside the main stadium, making it the biggest ever launch for the greatest sports show on earth.
Alas, that gamble made 300,000 people who lined the river banks very wet from the torrential rain as the athletes went past the Effiel Towel, the Lourve and the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Other than watching the games, I will be watching the athletes who continue to blend proven, unproven and even disproven strategies at the games.
It may have all started in Beijing, 2008 when Kinesio Taping donated more than 50,000 rolls of kinesio tape to athletes and sports teams at that Olympic games. You would see kinesio tape on body parts of athletes in many televised sports especially beach volleyball (pictured below) and track and field (pictured above). That exposure catapulted Kinesio Taping to the big time.
Many subsequent studies showed no evidence of 'improved lymphatic drainage', no decreased risk of injuries etc. But most if not all of the reviews and meta-analyses were done by researchers not trained in the correct taping techniques. Some researchers outright rejected offers to show them the proper taping techniques.
Of course there were many research papers showing Kinesio taping works if done correctly. These were conducted by researchers who have learnt the correct taping techniques.
In 2016, Michael Phelps 'poisoned' the pseudoscience well with large purple bruises across his back and shoulders while adding 5 gold medals to his haul. Cupping therapy was the next big thing for recovery as demonstrated by Phelps, who later launched his own cupping device in 2023.
Also popular are cold (ice) water immersions for recovery. Mo Farah, the British Olympic gold medalist who famously won 4 gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres made cold water immersions a regular part of his recovery as he was convinced that it would reduce inflammation. The opposite was true since cold water immersions after hard exercise suppressed signaling pathways associated with recovery for several days. At best, it is just perceived benefits on muscle soreness, although it does help reduce pain.
Other than pseudoscience (termed by Novella, 2016), there are are undertones of superstition too. If you watch Rafa Nadal's rituals (above) like how he places his bottles with labels facing the sides he plays and always letting his opponent cross the net first during changovers etc.
Sha'carri Richardson, who won the 100m at last year's world track and field championships always prays and acknowledges with her fingers before the start (pictured above).
We know that rituals and superstitions do not work to make one run faster, jump higher or throw further. They may however, give athletes a form of control and subsequently confer a performance advantage.
Having worked with athletes and going to 2 Olympics in the past, I can say that elite athletes are a stubborn lot. They have immense determination and will not quit even when sick or injured. I will not mention some of Team Singapore athlete's rituals and superstitions.
Definitely true that science, pseudoscience and superstitution are connected at the highest sporting levels. Pseudoscience is lucrative and thriving as it extends into society with tik tok health experts/ gurus, fitness influencers and snake oil salesmen. They will not have a nuanced understanding of the science nor their audiences' best interests at heart.
Of course there are also athletes who are also driven by data, power output stroke rate, stride length and other metrics that can be recorded with modern technology.
Our clinics will try, through our practice, readings and treating our patients, to sort out the science from the pseudoscience and we'll let you know.
Prior to joining Physio Solutions and starting up Sports Solutions, Gino Ng worked as a senior sports physiotherapist at the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) from 1999-2009. He graduated with a double masters in Musculoskeletal and Sports Physiotherapy from the University of South Australia on a SSC sponsorship.
Gino's position is perhaps most unique amongst sports physiotherapists in Singapore having seen all sides of the field as a practitioner, an athlete and as a patient.
His special interests are in the treatment of articular cartilage injuries having done research in the area whilst undergoing his postgraduate training. He specializes in treating sports injuries, as well as devising sports rehabilitation programmes after reconstructive surgeries to the shoulder, knee and ankle joints.
As a former national triathlete, Gino is a 2-time Singapore National Triathlon champion (2000-2001), National Duathlon champion (2001), 10-time winner of the National Vertical Marathon (1998-2001, 2004-2005, 2007-2010). He has also placed 4th at the 2001 Asian Duathlon Championships in Hong Kong and made several podium finishes in the Asian Cup Triathlon Series events over the years while holding down a full time job as a physiotherapist.
Partly as a result of his gruelling training regime, Gino needed 3 knee surgeries in 2002 and 2003. After which he made a comeback and placed 4th in the 2005 SEA Games triathlon event.
When not participating, Gino has kept close to sports, travelling widely with the Singapore medical teams for major overseas events such as the various SEA Games, 2002, 2006 Commonwealth Games, the 2006 Asian Games and he is the only local Singaporean physiotherapist to have been to both the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Gino is also one of only two certified Kinesio Taping Instructors (CKTI) in Singapore and teaches the Kinesio Taping Level 1, 2, 3 & 4 courses. He is also a frequent speaker at symposiums and sporting events.
While out cycling in April 2013, Gino had an accident and fractured his skull and spine. Lightning does strike twice, as he was rear ended by a motorbike, while out cycling in September 2021 and fractured his thoracic spine. Thankfully, he is a lot better now and is back working part time.
Having neck and back pain? Well, now you know who came back from a broken skull and back.
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