# Review on Wearable Technology in Sports: Concepts, Challenges and Opportunities
## 7 Applications of Wearables in Sports
### Injury Prevention  
It has been reported that injury prevention is an important component of training that coaches cannot measure [151]. WT in sports is not only used for performance tracking or improvement but also for determining and preventing athlete injury incidence [151; 152; 153; 154]. By providing real-time physiological data to athletes and coaches (compared to laboratory-based standard evaluations), WT allows for the development of accurate treatment plans and customized training programs to potentially reduce and mitigate injuries [155; 156; 157]. For example, wearable inertial sensors applied to the arm have been shown to classify shoulder joint movements with reasonable accuracy in volleyball and baseball, where injuries due to excessive use of the upper extremities are common [158]. The new generation Zepp Golf has a new Smart Coach training system [9]. The Zepp golf version provides athletes with information on the correct application of movements to minimize the risk of injury [3]. It has been reported that data obtained from IMUs can be extremely valuable in guiding individualized performance improvement, injury prevention and rehabilitation program design, as well as confirming progress toward achieving optimal neuromuscular function levels [99]. Sports injury is defined as the loss or abnormality of body structure or function resulting from exposure to physical energy in isolation during training or competition and is diagnosed as a medically recognized injury after examination by a clinical professional [159]. These injuries can increase the risk of long-term sequelae such as osteoarthritis, as well as a decrease in physical capacity and quality of life, not only in terms of treatment costs and time lost from sports for the injured athlete [160]. For these reasons, the prevention/prediction of sports injuries is considered one of the most critical aspects of athletic performance. For example, the International Football Federation (FIFA) accredits established centers that demonstrate expertise in medicine, education, and research in football in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries, care after injuries, and most importantly, injury prevention [161]. Injuries not only affect individual performance but also team performance negatively. \"Training load\" is reported as a risk factor for injury [162]. It has been noted that monitoring training loads for injury risk, training adaptations, and optimal performance is important by [PERSON] et al. [163], and that there is a relationship between workload and injury rates according to [PERSON] et al. [164], with very high player loads significantly increasing the risk of injury on a given training day. It has also been shown that biomechanical changes resulting from weak motor coordination are a risk factor for injury [152]. Any injury that can be considered a training load is generally seen as \"preventable\" [162]. In this context, wearable technologies can provide significant benefits to athletes, coaches, and conditioners in identifying high-risk athletes, taking necessary precautions, and rehabilitating athletes. It has been suggested that WTs can be used for managing sports injuries by facilitating the determination of the amount of relevant functional abilities before participating in high-intensity sports [151]. Ref. [152] has stated that weak motor coordination leads to hip and knee biomechanics in sport-specific dynamic movements and that monitoring motor coordination and field biomechanics with wearable sensors can be used to prevent anterior cruciate ligament injuries, which are common in team sports. In a recent systematic study [92], research using wearable technologies covering musculoskeletal injuries in sports was examined.