UGA researchers use turf science to protect athletes, preserve fields

ATHENS, GA ( WUPA ) -- On the football field, teamwork drives the game, but behind the scenes, another team is working to keep players safe.

At the University of Georgia's Turfgrass Research and Education Center, scientists are studying how grass affects athlete performance and injuries.

Dr. Gerald Henry, a turfgrass management specialist, and his team replicate the wear and tear of football games using specialized cleat machines to test how different types of grass hold up under pressure.

"So we can replicate the wear and tear traffic of a football game very quickly and then see how that affects the grasses that were growing," Henry said.

Researchers place athletes on the turf to monitor how their bodies interact with the grass, using small sensors that track movement and impact.