Close to the historic city of Nuremberg, elite scientists are at work on some of the most innovative training solutions the sporting world has seen. To lift the curtain on the tech revolutionising your fitness pursuits, MH travelled to Germany for an exclusive exploration of the Adidas Future Laboratory
On the secluded site of a former Luftwaffe airfield, close to the old Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, the headquarters of German sportswear brand Adidas occupies a secluded 39-hectare site. It is dominated by a futuristic, sevenstorey operations centre named ‘Laces’, after the walkways that criss-cross its 30m-high glass atrium. As befits a brand of its heritage – and one that reported a revenue of £17bn in 2016 – the campus is professional and inviting, appearing to have based its working culture on the giants of Silicon Valley. Outside, on its rolling lawns, a small group of its 3000 employees are playing volleyball, while inside, others sit down to lunch in one of a number of high-end campus restaurants. On today’s menu: a healthy chicken curry devised by the German football team’s Michelin-starred chef, Holger Stromberg.
But MH’s visit has nothing to do with participating in employee sports matches nor sampling bespoke baltis. Hidden in a far corner of the facility – and protected by rigorous security – is the portal to the Adidas Future Lab, an innovation hub where an elite group of 40 researchers, biomechanics and scientists are hard at work in the race to pioneer game-changing sporting equipment that will help you run further, score more goals and shatter your marathon PB. The tools at their disposal include advanced robotics, state-of-the-art sensors and highly-tuned machinery vetted by NASA, making this the vanguard of athletic progress. Today, MH has been afforded a rare glimpse of the future of fitness.
Changing Pace
This story is from the September 2017 edition of Men's Health UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2017 edition of Men's Health UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Every Question You Ever Had About Really Eating Well
Nutrition is a maddening business. Foods are in one day, compost the next; vitamins that cured ills last week are promptly debunked. We all want to eat better, but who has the time to sift fact from fad? Rest easy because this is your easily digestible, bite-sized guide to doing precisely that
The False Prophets Of Wellness
Muscle, fat loss, wisdom… Whatever you seek, there is now an entrepreneurial guru armed with hashtags who claims to have the answer. But is it gospel?
The Brexit Diet
Whether you voted Leave or Remain, the EU has transformed the way we eat – and crashing out threatens to deal a mighty blow to both our palates and our nutritional health. MH spoke to the experts worried that the true impact of Brexit will leave a very bad taste in our mouths.
Stamina? It's As Easy As Pie
Don’t flake on post-workout pastry. Pie and mash is your new performance enhancer
The Trip Treatment
Once the poison of the counterculture, psychedelic drugs are gaining credibility as a powerful, viable mental health tool that could transform the way we understand ourselves. Are you ready to turn on, tune in and dose up?
The Gastropub Nutrition Plan
New research suggests you don’t need to cut back on flavour either to satisfy your cravings or to cook off kilos. Better pass that piccalilli
Your Detox Doner Card
The vilified sat fat in your kebab is actually the antidote to offset booze’s impact on your liver. How convenient
Reach For The Stars
He has crossed the Atlantic, from Peckham to Hollywood, carrying multiple blockbusters on his newly broad shoulders. But while John Boyega’s star is in the ascendant, his feet remain firmly on the ground – thanks to a few fundamental life lessons learned along the way. Take note and look up.
One Word Answer #43
As tedious as they might have seemed at the time, most of the lessons our parents taught us as kids were worthy of adherence. Sit up straight at the table; look people in the eye when you thank them; try not to spit at strangers – even as an adult, these are values to live by.
Son Of A Gun
For most men, joining the family business is the easier option. Not so for Scott Eastwood, a man whose father might just be the most iconic Hollywood hard man ever. But while he is, in many ways, a chip off the old block, the firebrand’s son has his own life well figured out
