The world recently had a chance to watch and enjoy incredible performances from our greatest competitors, highlighting the best we have to offer at the Paris Olympic Games. In addition to the entertainment and excitement it provided, the event also served as a pertinent reminder regarding an issue of critical importance – the value of monitoring the cardiac health of young athletes.

Emerging technologies and innovations provide us with incredible new ways to achieve this. Like all serious health issues, early detection and prevention are the most effective guard against potential cardiac problems and conditions. In this post, we will delve into some of the most impressive solutions that have been made available to the world so far.

Wearable VO2 Monitors

Aerobic fitness lies at the core of cardiac fitness and overall health. A person’s VO2 Max refers to the maximum rate of oxygen that their body is capable of absorbing. According to the American Heart Association, this is one of the most effective measures of cardiorespiratory fitness available today and wearable VO2 monitoring devices make it possible to obtain these readings.

AI Powered Analytic Tools

In the world today, everyone is familiar with basic wearable devices that monitor or measure our heart rates, steps, sleep cycles and so on. Despite our sophistication, we haven’t been able to make the most out of this information – until now.

Mobile apps and wearable devices can be harnessed with powerful Artificial Intelligence and machine learning systems to provide useful data and information to athletes, trainers and medical experts. 

Tiny electronic sensors can be embedded into athletic peripherals such as soccer cleats to provide countless data points that can then be fed into the AI systems for processing. With these data points in hand, athletes can customize and tailor their exercise, diet, and training regimens to optimize their overall health and performance.

Movement Operating Systems

Movement Operating Systems are emergent systems designed to work in tandem with wearable telemetric technologies. Originally designed for fighter pilots, they have found a great purpose in the world of elite athletics. These systems use the data received from wearable sensors that can be placed at various critical points of a person’s body (e.g., the joints, hands, feet, head, etc.) to generate a comprehensive overview of their movements. 

This data can then be placed in the hands of medical professionals such as cardiologists and physiotherapists to help them detect potential risks to a person’s health. With the right analysis, it is possible to predict potential cardiac risk thresholds and allow athletes to operate at optimal performance levels.

Conclusion

It is well known today that genetic factors, environmental conditions, overexertion, poor lifestyle choices, and more are potential risk factors for cardiac issues. In a worrying new trend, young athletes are becoming increasingly susceptible to sudden onset cardiac catastrophes, often leading to their demise. The good news here is that cutting edge technologies such as those we’ve highlighted above offer us new and impactful ways to protect and preserve the well being of our top young performers.

Whether we are directly or indirectly involved in the world of high level sports and athletics, we should all take note of them if we wish to attain the highest peaks of achievement. As always, best of luck to our young athletes!