A research team at the University of Bayreuth has experimentally investigated how the popular climbing discipline of bouldering affects vegetation and the surface structure of natural rock formations. In their recently published study in the scientific journal People and Nature, the researchers call for nuanced management strategies that reconcile recreational use with the conservation of rock habitats.
For the first time in Germany, a digitally supported motion analysis of a Paralympic national team is being conducted under the leadership of the University of Bayreuth: Prof. Dr. Franz Konstantin Fuss, Chairholder of Biomechanics at the University of Bayreuth, together with his former Master’s student Lena Bäumker – now a research associate – are equipping the wheelchairs of the men’s and women’s national basketball teams with sensors that provide insights into performance and training optimisation. The project is funded by the Federal Institute of Sport Science with over €130,000.
The University of Bayreuth is among the first universities in Germany to implement the new policy of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) against sexual harassment and violence in sports. The Bayreuth Center of Sport Science (BaySpo) has developed its own measures, which were presented to the public on 10 October 2025.
The SCoRE tool developed at the University of Würzburg reliably records the football skills of girls in real game situations for the first time. It is available as an app for coaches.
For the first time, an international research team has developed concrete, evidence based stretching recommendations for practical use. The team was led by Prof. Dr. Dr. Jan Wilke of the University of Bayreuth. Their recommendations, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, aim to settle long-standing controversies and dispel common myths surrounding stretching.
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have, for the first time, provided concrete figures on the abrasion of mountain bike tyres in off-road conditions. Their findings contribute to a better understanding of the global microplastic cycle. They report on their research in the journal „Science of The Total Environment“.
Hof/Bayreuth – The Intelligent and Learning Systems research group at the Institute for Information Systems (iisys) at Hof University has developed an innovative, AI-powered fitness tool in collaboration with the "Freiraum" gym in Bayreuth. The subproject "Fit Me" was created as part of the EU-funded EFRE project M4-SKI and is now being made available to the public.
Children have become increasingly inactive over the past two decades, as shown by a long-term study involving 3,500 schoolchildren in Austria. Professor Dr Jan Wilke, a sports scientist at the University of Bayreuth, was involved in the project. He and his colleagues are calling for an expansion of sports activities, particularly in schools, as a way to reduce future strain on the healthcare system.
Kinexon, a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has equipped the European Championship soccer balls with high-precision sensors. The technology helps referees make difficult decisions. Kinexon specializes in the analysis and control of moving objects – whether in sport or in production. The technology is also used to analyze and automate the processes of entire factories.
Mountain biking is one of the most popular leisure activities today. Sport ecologists at the University of Bayreuth have now compiled and evaluated a wide range of previously published findings on the ecological consequences of this sport. Numerous direct and short-term effects on animals, plants and soils can be clearly demonstrated. However, estimates of long-term consequences remain difficult because of the complexity of ecosystems and their inherent dynamics. The review article was published in the journal "Global Ecology and Conservation".
