How The Internet of Things Can Lead To Success In The Sports Industry
Tags: iot
Published: 2022-11-24 08:35:27

The Internet of Things universe, more commonly referred to as [IoT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things), is a system of interrelated computing devices that are equipped with unique identifiers. These unique identifiers contain the ability to transfer data over a shared network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer contact. IoT consists of web-enabled devices with built in systems that not only collect but also share and react to received data from other IoTs that are in the same network. The use of this technology is often presented within industries such as medical assistance and the car industry. Some examples of the IoTs within those industries are items such as heart monitors, check engine lights or even a tire pressure gauge. One industry we don’t see common use of IoTs it would be our college level and professional level athletic training and sports industry. The use of IoTs in the higher level athletic training and sports industry can further athletic performance by targeting ongoing issues such as sports doping, athletic injury, and early retirement. 

One issue that is commonly seen in higher level athletics is the act of sports doping and the issues that come along side it. Sports doping is the act of taking illegal or over the counter medications with the intent of bettering athletic performance. Drugs that are used when sports doping fall under numerous categories such as:

- Illegal drugs.
- Illicit drugs (drugs found in legal medications that can be used in the wrong way).
- Legal drugs (drugs that are banned by sporting organizations due to the enhancing features they offer such as insulin, asthma medications, and pseudoephedrine).

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has banned almost 200 substances that fall in the categories listed due to the drug giving an unfair advantage when placed against other athletes or due to the numerous amount of health risks that the drug presents. Health risks from the drugs used for sports doping have a range of severity, some of which being:

- Acne
- High blood pressure
- Kidney failure
- Reduced sperm production
- Heart failure
- Blood clots
- Anemia
- Reduced circulation

According to a survey conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency, an estimated 38% of athletes used an over the counter substance listed in the prior 12 months before a tournament. Although 38% does seem to be a low presenting number, this survey did not take into consideration illicit or illegal drugs that athletes had taken within that time frame. With that put into perspective, it is likely that the percentage nearly doubles. Athletes are actively putting their bodies into dangerous situations in order to gain an advantage at their sport of choice, but what is a solution that could keep athletes under a closer and safer eye?

IoTs could be the answer that coaches and sports organizations are searching for. A properly developed IoT could be programmed to not only detect the use of drugs for sports doping, but it could also be able to identify the kind of drug, the dosage consumed, and when the drug was consumed. The development of this technology would be more accurate than a standard drug test because it would be able to thoroughly scan the athlete’s consumption and effects from the drug itself. 

Another issue that the sports industry is facing is the increasing number of athletes that are becoming injured. On average about 90% of college athletes face injury within their first years of playing at a higher level in their sport. 67% of those injuries are considered as a “major injury”. A major injury is “any injury that could potentially lead to death, prolonged disability or permanently diminished quality of life.”. Another 50% of college athlete injuries develop into a chronic injury. “A chronic injury is the result of prolonged, repetitive motion that is particularly common in endurance sports such as swimming, running and cycling.” 


As if athletes becoming injured while participating in their sports wasn’t already a reoccurring issue, many athletes are forced to dismiss their injuries and continue to train in order to stay competitive in their sports. An estimated 54% of athletes continue to play on their injuries before seeking medical care. This then enables the injury to progressively get worse until it can become career, or in some cases life, threatening. College athletes can spend up to six days a week training around five to six hours a day. That could total to thirty hours of training on an injury that hasn’t been properly cared for just within the first week since the injury occurred. Athletic injuries are inevitable, but with the help of IoTs, there is room for growth on how athletes handle them and how serious the injury becomes. 

With the same technology that is used within [IoTs](https://pixelplex.io/blog/what-is-iot/) such as heart monitors, we could create an IoT that monitors athlete’s bodys and is triggered when an injury occurs. This technology would be able to remain dormant until the signal that an injury occurred. This signal would be produced from chemicals that the brain makes in response to pain. Once the IoT receives the signal that there is an injury, it could then monitor the injury and alert the athlete of the proper steps to take in order to heal the injury and return to their sport. This could prevent the athlete from playing on an injury, thus making it worse. 

The final issue that is commonly seen within the sports industry, that could be aided by the use of IoTs, is the early retirement rate that athletes face. About 14 to 32% of athletes are forced to retire early due to injury. This is a major issue within the sports industry because the industry is actively losing athletes to compete in sports at a quicker rate than the normal turnover at a nine-to-five workforce. This makes it harder for the industry to continue making money as fans stop coming to games once their favorite athlete retires. Early retirement is also extremely damaging for the athlete as well as the industry. Athletes who retire early often become bankrupt only 10 years into their retirement which forces them to take on another job and put their bodies through more stress. IoTs could help prevent early retirement through the prevention of chronic injuries. If an athlete were to receive the signal at time of injury from the earlier proposed IoT, the athlete would then be able to treat their injury properly. This then reduces the chance of the injury furthering and becoming an issue that could cause early retirement. 

Putting in place new technology for IoTs to adapt to in the sports industry could greatly benefit both the industry and athletes long term. IoTs already present themselves in the sports industry on minuscule levels, that we as average citizens do not notice. IoTs are in place currently in the form of:

- Smart apparel (smart watches such as fitbits or apple watches)
- Smart footwear (technology placed in shoes in order to calculate speed and length of athletic training)
- Smart equipment (exercise equipment that notifies the athletes of their athletic abilities)
- Facility management (technology in stadiums and gyms that can help climate control and game play)
- Fan experiences (most commonly seen within vendors at in person games)
	
With IoTs already put in place in the world of the sport industry, it is a possibility that IoTs, in order to aid athletes, can be created. This will not only help athletes individually but also the sports training as a whole. Sports doping, athletic injury, and early retirement could all be impacted significantly with the help of an IoT. Our technology today puts the possibility just into reach. It is up to the sports industry to reach out and grab it.