Revolutionizing Sports with Nanotechnology: Better Protection and Stronger Support

Modern sports activities have increasingly benefited from the development of nanotechnology, which is extensively applied in various sports events and associated activities and facilities. Nanotechnology deals with materials with nanoscale size, providing unique properties and functions compared with their bulk counterparts. Nanotechnology can not only provide better training feedback by tracking the athlete's physiological signals as well as performance details but also protect humans with nanomaterial-functionalized sports fabrics, equipment, and medicine. Nanotechnology has significantly advanced sports in various aspects, thereby leading to a rising research interest in this interdisciplinary field. This article highlights several representative nanotechnologies applied in sports such as nanomaterials in wearable sensors, personal heat management devices, functional sports fabrics, and sports medicine and discusses the principles, current challenges, as well as future opportunities.