Technological influences have also crept into the lives of athletes. It's not just the latest drug on the market that they use it's also the most up to date equipment. Innovations include: the use of the contemporary bicycle against the recumbent(斜卧式)bicycle, the texture of a golf ball to take full advantage of its traveling distance, the traditional wooden bat versus the new aluminum bat which is said to maximize one's athletic talent. Hockey has had changes. Perhaps one of the biggest changes of all was the mandate to wear a helmet. Today, the size and shape of pads, goalie equipment and even their sticks have been changed from wood to graphite(石墨). All of these efforts are in an attempt to 'improve' the performance of athletes. Even figure skating(花样滑冰)is using technology to advance its skaters. There isn't just one brand of skate that skaters use. There are numerous different boots that all apply to what category of skating they do. For instance, a dancer and a single's skater would not have the same skate. Each boot and blade would be fit in order to maximize his or her performance. A single's skater's boot would be incredibly padded, sturdy and strong in order for them to land those powerful jumps. Yes, it is a safety issue as well, but this technology has led skating to the level it is at today. All in all, it is quite hard to say whether we should be accepting these new technological advances or whether we should be sticking to the traditional model of sport. We are currently in the middle of both drug use and the use of new and innovative equipment as far as I can tell. Where are we going to progress from here? Are athletes actually going to put microchips in their brain in order to attain an athletic title? The future holds many options for the outlook of sport, and it will be interesting to address tradition in sport in the years to come. What the author discussed in the previous sections is most probably about ______.