Athlete Monitoring: An Essential Tool for Athletes' Performance, Health and Well-Being

Athlete monitoring is used to gather and assess various information about an athlete’s physical and psychological state. This practice involves systematic tracking of both external and internal loads, utilizing subjective and objective measures to gather detailed information about an athlete's overall well-being. External load measurement usually involves quantification of an athlete's training or competition activities by recording training hours, running distance, weight lifted, number of games played, and other external factors like life events, daily challenges, or travel [1]. Conversely, internal load is assessed by evaluating the athlete's internal physiological and psychological responses to these external loads, such as heart rate or perceived exertion ratings.

Purpose of Athlete Monitoring: Monitoring an athlete’s workload offers numerous benefits, such as interpreting performance changes, enhancing understanding of exercise responses, detecting fatigue, and assessing recovery needs. It helps optimize training programs and competition schedules, ensures appropriate workload levels to minimize injury and illness risks, and guides rehabilitation programs [2]. Such monitoring can provide data either during a competition period, as e.g. during major sports events [3,4], or can facilitate the evaluation of injury/illness risk and overall performance throughout an entire season [5], and by that also form the basis for comparisons from one season to the other [6,7]. By closely observing athlete's readiness, coaches, sports scientists, and medical professionals can make informed decisions about training loads, recovery periods, and interventions necessary to maintain or improve an athlete's health and performance.

Athlete monitoring can be implemented in various areas:

Physical Health

Regular health monitoring includes tracking vital signs, body composition, and physiological markers. Salivary or blood-derived biomarkers can be used for tracking nutrition and hydration status, muscle and cardiovascular status, injury/illness risk and inflammation [8]. Ensuring optimal health reduces the risk of injury/illness and enhances recovery, contributing to sustained performance levels.

Performance

Monitoring athlete's performance metrics involves systematically tracking various indicators that reflect an athlete's physical abilities and progress. These metrics include speed, strength, endurance, agility, and technique, measured through tools like GPS trackers, heart rate monitors, and performance tests (for more info, please refer to our previous post titled "Testing your athletes: Part II – What"). By analyzing these metrics, coaches can tailor training programs to address weaknesses, optimize performance, and prevent overtraining, ultimately enhancing the athlete's overall competitive edge.

Injury/Illness Prevention and Management

Injury/illness surveillance is carried out through the systematic and continuous prospective monitoring of injuries and illnesses over time, which is the starting point for the implementation of targeted health problem prevention programs [9]. Injury/illness surveillance can determine the risks associated with sports participation, measure injury trends between two or more seasons [6], and evaluate the effectiveness of preventive measures. Systematic monitoring further provides data to identify high- and low-risk sports, including the most common and most serious sport-specific injuries. Through consistent monitoring, minor health issues can be addressed before they develop into significant ones, allowing for proactive management and rehabilitation.

Mood and Psychological State

Monitoring mood and psychological state is crucial for understanding an athlete's mental and emotional well-being. Tools like mood questionnaires and psychological scales provide insights into stress levels, motivation, and overall mental health. Regular assessments can identify early signs of burnout, anxiety, or depression, allowing for timely psychological support and adjustments to training programs [10].

Athlete monitoring is an invaluable practice in modern sports, essential for maintaining athletes' health, enhancing performance, and preventing injuries and illnesses. By systematically tracking performance, health, injury and illness indicators, sports professionals can ensure athletes reach their peak potential while safeguarding their well-being. In PART II, we’ll take a look into different athlete monitoring methods and implementation of monitoring programs.

References:

1. Borresen J, Lambert MI. The quantification of training load, the training response and the effect on  performance. Sports Med. 2009;39:779–95.

2. Drole K, Paravlic A, Steffen K, Doupona M. Effects of physical, psychosocial and dual-career loads on injuries and illnesses among elite handball players: protocol of prospective cohort study. BMJ Open [Internet]. 2023;13:e069104. Available from: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/3/e069104.abstract

3. Engebretsen L, Soligard T, Steffen K, Alonso JM, Aubry M, Budgett R, et al. Sports injuries and illnesses during the London Summer Olympic Games 2012. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47:407–14.

4. Soligard T, Steffen K, Palmer-Green D, Aubry M, Grant M-E, Meeuwisse W, et al. Sports injuries and illnesses in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49:441–7.

5. Tegnander A, Olsen O, Moholdt T, Engebretsen L, Bahr R. Injuries in Norwegian female elite soccer: a prospective one-season cohort study. Knee Surgery, Sport Traumatol Arthrosc. 2008;16:194–8.

6. Steffen K, Clarsen B, Gjelsvik H, Haugvad L, Koivisto-Mørk A, Bahr R, et al. Illness and injury among Norwegian Para athletes over five consecutive Paralympic  Summer and Winter Games cycles: prevailing high illness burden on the road from 2012 to 2020. Br J Sports Med. 2022;56:204–12.

7. Steffen K, Bahr R, Clarsen B, Fossan B, Fredriksen H, Gjelsvik H, et al. Comprehensive periodic health evaluations of 454 Norwegian Paralympic and Olympic athletes over 8 years: what did we learn? Br J Sports Med [Internet]. 2024;58:826 LP – 835. Available from: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/58/15/826.abstract

8. Lee EC, Fragala MS, Kavouras SA, Queen RM, Pryor JL, Casa DJ. Biomarkers in Sports and Exercise: Tracking Health, Performance, and Recovery in  Athletes. J strength Cond Res. 2017;31:2920–37.

9. Bahr R, Clarsen B, Derman W, Dvorak J, Emery CA, Finch CF, et al. International Olympic Committee consensus statement: Methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport 2020 (including STROBE Extension for Sport Injury and Illness Surveillance (STROBE-SIIS)). Br J Sports Med. 2020;54:372–89.

10. Meidl V, Dallmann P, Steffen K, Bretthauer B, Busch A, Kubosch EJ, et al. Mental health surveillance in elite Para athletes: early identification and follow-up of athletes at risk of mental health problems. Br J Sports Med [Internet]. 2024;58:902 LP – 909. Available from: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/58/16/902.abstract

Author: Kristina Drole, MSc