Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/804369
35 BAY AREA NEWS GROUP PLAY BALL THE GIANTS Let'sbeginwheretheirprocesssooftenends. "We're actually going to go into the bathroom, of all places,'' said Geoff Head, the Giants sports science special- ist. It's almost five hours before the first pitch at AT&T Park last September, so we're free to barge unannounced into the Giants' clubhouse restroom. The players have yet to trickle in. Head selected this lonely hour to provide an extended look at a largely unknown part of the Giants' late-season success. Now in its third full season, the sports science program takes a high-tech approach to assessing health and fitness by looking at what Head calls "the physiologi - cal biomarkers of fatigue and performance." Depending on the results of player testing, Head might have a turmeric-spiced shake or sodium-infused water at the ready. Each of his concoctions is custom-made for the player's individual molecular needs. It gives team chemis - try a whole new meaning. "Players are looking for every legal advantage, every edge,'' Head said. "That's why the game has started to evolve. You can't take steroids. They test ALL the time — I feel like that there are testers here every day. "And that's a good thing. You want the sport to be clean. But now the question is, 'OK, how do I adjust and still play BY DANIEL BROWN THROUGH SOPHISTICATED BIOMETRICS AND OTHER METHODS, TEAM'S SPORTS SCIENCE SPECIALIST AIMS TO KEEP ROSTER HEALTHY HIGH TECH HEALTH