Wearable technology in sport: a scoping review

Read, Dale ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6367-0261, Barraclough, Sam, Kirkwood, Adam, Whittaker, Nicholas and Sanderson, Andy (2025) Wearable technology in sport: a scoping review. In: 30th Annual Congress of European College of Sports Science (ECSS), 1 July 2025 - 4 July 2025, Rimini, Italy. (In Press)

Accepted Version File not available for download. Available under License In Copyright. Download (153kB)

Abstract

Introduction Wearable technology is defined as a wireless electronic device worn on the user’s body and can transmit real-time data. Wearable technology within sport exists in many forms, such as smart jewellery (e.g., watches, rings), body-mounted sensors, and smart clothing, measuring a range of variables. These devices are used in sport to reduce injury risk, assist with rehabilitation, and optimise training load. With the exponential expansion in the field of wearable technology in sport, there remains a large degree of uncertainty regarding the breadth and depth of available technologies, and therefore, a review of the published literature is needed. The objective of this scoping review is to identify which wearable technologies have been developed, or are in development, for use in sporting activities to measure physiological variables. Methods The scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute manual for scoping reviews and reported according to the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The review protocol was preregistered at https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.280. Seven databases were searched (inception – September 2024), including four scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science), one grey literature database (OpenGrey), one conference database (IEEE), and one UK doctoral thesis database (EthOS). Only studies where human participants wore a wearable technology device on the skin that could measure a physiological variable (e.g., heart rate) during sport or structured exercise were included. Following screening, 217 studies were found eligible for inclusion. Results All individual wearable devices were counted, including studies that assessed multiple devices. In total, wearable technology had been placed on 14 locations on the body, with the most frequently identified being: the wrist (n = 150), the thorax (n = 108), the abdomen (n = 32), the upper arm (n = 15), and forearm (n = 13). There were 15 categories of wearable technologies, with the most frequently identified being: wristbands (n = 164), chest straps (n = 85), patches (n = 48), shirts (n = 29), and armbands (n = 12). There were 10 physiological variables identified, with the most frequently identified being: heart rate (n = 282), energy expenditure (n = 63), sweat rate (n = 39), respiratory rate (n = 32), and skin temperature (n = 20). Conclusion The review identified multiple locations, categories, and physiological variables associated with wearable technology. The wrist was the most common location, wristbands were the most frequently categorized wearable type, and heart rate was the most common physiological variable. This synthesis of the literature will assist researchers who wish to review the wearable technologies that have been developed or are in development for use in sporting activities to measure physiological variables.