Invisible Monitoring for Athlete Health and Performance: A Call for a Better Conceptualization and Practical...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Performance Monitoring
• Athlete Tracking Technologies

Background:

• Athlete monitoring practices are evolving with wearable technology and data analysis.
• Invisible monitoring, defined as testing athletes without direct testing, is emerging.
• Lack of a clear definition for invisible monitoring creates research and practical challenges, including ethical concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend the conceptualization of invisible monitoring by defining its subdimensions.
• To identify and address data-related and ethical challenges associated with invisible monitoring.
• To provide practical considerations for implementing invisible monitoring in elite sports.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of invisible monitoring.
• Identification of subdimensions: monitoring burden and measurement scope.
• Discussion of data governance, analysis, validity, reliability, and communication challenges.

Main Results:

• Invisible monitoring can be conceptualized with subdimensions like monitoring burden and measurement scope.
• Key challenges include data governance, analysis, measure validity/reliability, and athlete communication.
• Practical considerations for implementation are proposed.

Conclusions:

• This commentary offers a conceptual framework for invisible monitoring in elite sports.
• Defining subdimensions aids in classifying measurement tools.
• Consensus on definition and operationalization is needed to optimize athlete monitoring.