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Review
. 2025 Jun;55(6):1377-1403.
doi: 10.1007/s40279-025-02227-0. Epub 2025 Apr 21.

Integrative Field-Based Health and Performance Research: A Narrative Review on Experimental Methods and Logistics to Conduct Competition and Training Camp Studies in Athletes

Trent Stellingwerff  1   2   3 , Louise M Burke  4 , Hannah G Caldwell  5   6 , Robert J Gathercole  7 , Chris J McNeil  5 , Christopher Napier  8 , Sarah A Purcell  5   9 , Susan Boegman  10 , Elizabeth Johnson  10 , Sharleen D Hoar  10 , Alexandra M Coates  8 , Erica V Bennett  11 , Alannah K A McKay  4 , Ida A Heikura  10   12 , Michael J Joyner  13 , Jamie F Burr  14
Affiliations
Review

Integrative Field-Based Health and Performance Research: A Narrative Review on Experimental Methods and Logistics to Conduct Competition and Training Camp Studies in Athletes

Trent Stellingwerff et al. Sports Med. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Field-based sport research involves studies that collect data from athletes and/or teams during competition and/or their daily training environments. Over the last decade, sport-specific field-based research projects have significantly increased in number and complexity, partially owing to the further development of more portable measurement equipment (e.g., indirect calorimetry, desktop blood/gas analyzers, portable laboratories, etc.) and/or wearable or consumable technologies (e.g., smart watches, sensors, core temp pills, etc.). However, given these rapid advances and novelty, challenges remain in the validity and applicability of these devices. Unfortunately, there are no global ethical or best-practice standards for the use of portable devices and/or wearables in sport; however, this review will outline various opportunities and challenges. Many decision trade-offs are required when designing field-based research studies to balance gold-standard scientific rigor and strict research control with highly applied, but less-controlled, "real-world" conditions. To our knowledge, there are no narrative reviews that take a wholistic view of the logistical and methodological considerations of field-based research in athletes. Accordingly, this review takes a multi-disciplinary methodological approach (physiological, nutritional/energetic, biomechanical, musculoskeletal, cognitive, and psychosocial factors), along with the logistical considerations involved in project planning, research design, and ethics of field-based research with elite athletes and/or teams. We also provide practical guidance for characterizing the extreme demands of elite training and competition to support research that ultimately catalyzes improved understanding of the limits of human capacity. We hope this review can serve as a practical guide for researchers undertaking elite athlete field-based research.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Funding: No funding was received for this review. Conflicts of interest: None of the authors received funding as it directly relates to the material associated with this review. However, authors T.S., H.G.C., C.J.M., C.N., S.A.P., S.B., E.J., S.D.H., A.M.C., E.B., and J.F.B have previously received, or are currently receiving, funding from Lululemon Athletica (of which R.J.G. is an employee) on an external field-based research project. Given the scope of the paper (methodological/logistical review), we do not believe this relationship influences the content. Ethics approval: Not applicable. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Availability of data and material: Not applicable. Code availability: Not applicable. Author contributions: T.S. conceived, organized, and led the review by writing Sects. 1 and 10, with expert input on Sects. 1, 2, and 10 from M.J.J.; Sect. 2 was written by R.J.G, J.F.B., T.S., and H.G.C; Sect. 3 was written by A.K.A.M and E.J.; Sect. 4 was written by A.M.C., J.F.B., and C.N.; Sect. 5 was written by C.N.; Sect. 6 was written by C.J.M.; Sect. 7 was written by E.B. and S.D.H.; Sect. 8 was written by S.A.P, L.M.B, S.B., and T.S.; and Sect. 9 was written by I.A.H., A.K.A.M., and L.M.B. All authors have read, edited, and approved the final version, and all authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Methodological and logistical study design considerations prior to field-based data collection
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Technical considerations for the use of wearable technology in field-based research
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Logistical considerations for the measurement of dietary intake in field-based human performance research. DI dietary intake
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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