GPS technology improves sports performance

A GPS-based monitoring system aims to improve athlete performance by measuring a wide range of metrics.

Athlete performance is being measured more accurately all the time using a wide range of technology. At Springwise, we have seen a number of new innovations applied to improving sports performance. These range from high-tech dive fins to a smart scouting platform. The latest involves the use of GPS technology to allow improved monitoring of player performance. Sports tech company STATS has developed a system which uses a 50 hertz sampling frequency to allow coaches to monitor up to 100 players in real-time. The system includes GPS vests embedded with textile heart-rate sensors. The company claims it is one of the most advanced on the market.

During practice, the STATS GPS system allows coaches to receive real-time information on metrics. This information includes, accelerations, decelerations, energy expenditure, count of zone entries, and time, distance and power thresholds. After practice, coaches can also use the STATS Dynamix online portal to have detailed session reports ready by the time players walk off the pitch. The reports are fully-customisable and can include individual player summaries. Additionally, the information gives more than 300 different performance metrics, including cardiovascular metrics, running, and explosive and brake symmetry. The system also allows sports scientists to apply the results to historical data.