Validity of a Wearable Accelerometer Device to Measure Average Acceleration Values During High-Speed Running

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Wearable accelerometers are increasingly used in sports to measure performance metrics.
• Accurate measurement of acceleration is crucial for understanding high-speed running dynamics.
• Previous research has not fully validated accelerometer accuracy for sprint acceleration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the validity of a wearable accelerometer (SPI-HPU; GPSports) for measuring average acceleration during high-speed running.
• To assess the impact of data filtering techniques on accelerometer accuracy.
• To investigate the influence of body mass on accelerometer measurements.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen subjects performed three 40-m sprints.
• Acceleration was measured using a 100-Hz triaxial accelerometer and concurrent timing gates at 10-m intervals.
• Accelerometer data was analyzed raw and with 3- and 10-point moving average filters.

Main Results:

• The accelerometer significantly overestimated average acceleration in both 0-10m and 10-20m intervals (p < 0.001).
• Overestimation persisted regardless of the data filtering method applied.
• Body mass significantly affected all measured accelerometer variables (p < 0.10).

Conclusions:

• The tested wearable accelerometer is not valid for measuring average acceleration during high-speed running.
• The absence of a gravity compensation formula and the influence of body mass limit accuracy and practicality.
• The utility of accelerometer-derived algorithms is questionable without gravity compensation.