How AI and Wearable Tech Are Revolutionizing Sports Performance

Sporting organizations have always used data. For most of human history, however, their ability to analyze numbers and draw conclusions hasn’t been even a fraction as deep as it is today. Sometimes this is for the worse. Those with a love for basketball, for example, might curse the name of whoever realized playing defense and making complex plays was less statistically worthwhile than shooting dozens of threes every game. That’s a joke. Kind of.

AI paired with wearable devices deepens the ability to integrate data interpretation into sporting events. If artificial intelligence is good at one thing, it’s taking complicated but objective information and drawing fast insights. How will that shape the future of your favorite sport?

AI and Horse Racing

In horse racing, AI, coupled with wearables, is already making a major difference in both equine safety and performance. Devices can clip onto harnesses, saddles, and other connection points. The devices measure everything from the animals’ gait to their vitals. The idea is to not only optimize their performance but also to monitor their health.

There is a long history of horses entering major races already injured. They’ll compete under a cocktail of painkillers that allows them to play through the pain.

The ethical concerns are obvious. Pro athletes do this as well, but it’s their choice. For horses, it’s a management strategy that has all too often sent animals to early graves.

AI and wearable technology give teams both more information and accountability. Through these technologies, they have a higher understanding of what is going on with their animals and what to do about it. In other words, future Belmont Stakes odds might very well be shaped by which animals have the best access to technology.

We may already be seeing data and an overall increased concern for equine safety shape racing. This year, the Kentucky Derby winner, Sovereignty, was not entered into the Preakness Stakes. The management team cited a desire to focus on Belmont instead. This is the fifth time in seven years that the Derby winner opted out of pursuing the Triple Crown.

While the reasons have varied slightly from horse to horse, a primary factor has been that the Preakness Stakes takes place only two weeks after the Derby.

Is this pattern a reflection of greater, data-driven insights into horse safety? Maybe. It might also reflect the modern priorities of horse ownership groups. It costs an incredible amount of money to raise, train, and maintain a champion. Owners recoup their investment not only through winning races but also through breeding. It’s often more financially worthwhile to keep the horse healthy, even if that means winning fewer races.

While fans of racing miss having the ability to root for a potential triple crown recipient, it’s nice to see equine safety established as a bigger priority.

Wearables in Other Sports

It’s not only horses that are getting in on the action. Wearables improve Major League Baseball by enhancing performance monitoring and injury prevention. The devices include everything from compression sleeves to bat sensors that interpret swing angles.

Similar data-gathering technology exists in professional golf. Sensors can be attached to the players’ clubs to gather more information on how they are making contact with the ball.

The compression sleeves, meanwhile, are used on athletes across many different sports as a way of monitoring vitals and detecting early signs of potential injury. These devices can take thousands of data points every day, all while the players practice and work out the same way that they always have.

One of the biggest objectives is to reduce injury. This information is already being used to significantly reduce ACL injuries–a major issue across all sports, but one that is especially prominent for female athletes.

Soccer clubs have embraced GPS tracking vests that monitor distance covered, sprint counts, and physical exertion levels. These systems help training staff optimize individual workloads based on positional demands and recovery needs, while also identifying players who might be compensating for minor issues before they develop into significant injuries.

The NFL has implemented helmet sensors that measure impact forces, providing valuable data about concussion risks and helping equipment manufacturers develop safer protective gear. This technology represents a significant advancement in addressing one of the sport’s most pressing safety concerns while maintaining the physical nature that defines football.

All of these developments are undoubtedly for the best. Right now, though, there is still a major limitation to athletic data implementation. Human understanding. We have lots of numbers. We don’t completely know what to do with them. Yet.

AI is already accelerating that end of the equation. Still, it may be a while before the full benefit of modern athletic data taking is realized.