SMART AND WEARABLE DEVICES IN SPORT: THREE-MONTH ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING FOR COMPETITION

The importance of physical activity is recognized internationally, as it contributes to improving life expectancy. In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in studying athletes to observe structural physiological changes compared to untrained individuals. Focusing on cardiovascular activity, scientific literature has identified how high-level sports activity can lead to specific cardiac remodelling, known as “athlete’s heart”. Recently, athletes have had access to a quantity and types of data and metrics to optimize training, competition, and recovery strategies through the use of smart (advanced technological) and wearable devices, that have allowed to make changes to the training load, in particular in terms of duration, frequency, and intensity. Within this rapidly evolving field, monitoring certain physiological parameters has proven to be particularly relevant. For instance, heart rate variability (HRV) has been recognized as a reliable index for assessing training adaptation, controlling fitness levels, and preventing overtraining. Other important parameters include blood pressure, sleep monitoring, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen saturation. This study aims to analyse the correlations between these parameters using commercially available smart and wearable devices, with the ultimate goal of re-athletize a subject coming from a period of forced inactivity. The athlete was monitored daily over a three-month period (12 weeks), following a standardized data acquisition protocol executed punctually for 86 days. In addition, a structured training protocol was implemented to facilitate the return of the athlete to competitive activity. To assess progress, two performance tests were conducted, one at the beginning and one at the end of the training period. Data were systematically collected in tables and analysed using weekly averages and standard deviations to evaluate parameter variations. From this study, it is clear that the monitored parameters exhibited significant changes, aligning with trends reported in scientific literature. Specifically, all cardiovascular parameters have improved, alongside a notable enhancement in athletic performance, attributed also to a reduction in body weight, specifically in body fat. Finally, the study concluded with an evaluation of the effectiveness of these devices in achieving the intended objectives, demonstrating their utility in optimizing the training and recovery process.