How can technology improve the training and coaching of top athletes and amateur sportspeople? Kristof De Mey, innovation manager and business developer for sports technology at Ghent University, outlines the future of seven innovative techniques.

Markerless Motion Capture: Thanks to advanced computer vision systems, you no longer need to attach markers to an athlete's body to capture movements. "This allows judges in gymnastics, for example, to award points more accurately, to check the angle of the knee when an injury occurred, and even to analyse how to hit a perfect forehand in tennis.

Bio wearables: Sensors that can continuously measure sugar levels, cortisol, sweat and lactate in the body without pricking are “the next big thing”. ‘Our spin-off OnTracx has developed an algorithm that measures the load during walking. This has shown, for example, that a hard surface is no longer stressful for everyone.’

Brain training: ‘Brain training is uncharted territory in the coaching of athletes. Although techniques are already available on the market, their effect has not yet been scientifically proven. This will undoubtedly change in the coming years.’

Personalised training advice via AI: ‘Artificial intelligence and algorithms will be used to convert all of an athlete's physical data into specific training advice and recovery schedules. Hyper-intelligent training platforms will be launched in a few years' time.’
Full-body scan: Wealthy sports clubs already have their own MRI scanners. ‘A full body scan is the next step. It can be used to prevent injuries. In our faculty, for example, Prof. Wim Derave's team has developed the Muscle Talent Scan, which allows you to better assess injury risks.’

Electronic pills: ‘If you can use a smart pill to measure which foods an athlete absorbs well, you can optimise their energy supply. It will be particularly important to convert all that data into concrete, applicable tools.’

Sports Tech Research Network: ‘The sports technology sector is currently a jungle: there are few restrictions or regulatory bodies. That is why I founded the Sports Tech Research Network (STRN) together with colleagues from Europe, the US and Australia. We have created a scientifically based framework. FIFA and other major sports federations will now use this to determine which technology to use.’

More information: Victoris