Effectiveness of Wearable Technology for Predicting Measures of Metabolism and Performance in Collegiate Division 1 Swimmers
Open Access
- Author:
- Lundstrom, Emily
- Graduate Program:
- Kinesiology
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- June 18, 2020
- Committee Members:
- Nancy Williams, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Mary Jane De Souza, Committee Member
Alison Diane Gernand, Committee Member
Jonathan Bates Dingwell, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Swimmers
Metabolism
Heart Rate Variability
Performance
Athlete
Energy Availability
Wearable Technology - Abstract:
- Elite collegiate athletes commonly have difficulty meeting the caloric requirements to fuel their training and competitive performance due to training at very high intensities for long durations. Unless energy intake is increased to meet caloric expenditure, athletes will experience repercussions that can severely impact health and performance. Heavy training can elicit reductions in energy availability (EA), heart rate variability (HRV), and increase strain, and these variables have all been associated with reductions in performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of wearable technology for use in detection of physiological and psychological variables related to health and performance in elite athletes. This study utilized the WHOOP Performance Optimization system (WHOOP Inc., Boston, MA) wearable device to test whether WHOOP derived measures of HRV, recovery, strain, and sleep in a group of 23 male and female NCAA Division 1 Swimmers (18-22 yr) during the heavy training phase preceding the championship competition were significantly associated with laboratory and or validated measures of metabolic health, performance, and factors predictive of performance. Specifically, measures from the WHOOP were compared to laboratory measures of resting metabolic rate (RMR) and serum total triiodothyronine, a 200-yard performance time trial swim, as well as established surveys assessing stress and recovery (RESTQ-52 Sport, Perceived Stress Scale). Data related to training load, body composition, and within day energy balance were also recorded. Participants were grouped for analysis by whole group (WG), sex (M; male, F; female) and metabolism groups (SUP; suppressed, NSUP; non-suppressed) based on the ratio of measured to predicted RMR value <0.94 using the DXA RMR prediction equation. Independent T-tests showed that WHOOP derived HRV was significantly lower in individuals categorized as metabolically suppressed compared to those categorized as non-metabolically suppressed (SUP=81±26.9ms, NSUP=109.8±34.7ms, p<0.05). Pearson correlations demonstrated a significant relationship between HRV and RMR per kg LBM (RMR per kg LBM) in WG (R=.448, p=0.032). Direct and indirect measures of performance demonstrated an inverse relationship between WHOOP derived sleep disturbances and swimming time trial performance in the WG (R=-.492, p=0.017). In females, WHOOP derived strain was inversely correlated to time trial swim performance (R=-.630, p=0.021). There were no additional correlations when comparing time trial performance and WHOOP variables. For indirect measures of performance, males exhibited a correlation between perceived stress score and HRV (R=-.676, p=0.032). Therefore, we conclude that the WHOOP Performance Optimization system may provide more insights into elite division 1 swimmers' metabolic health than their performance potential.