Reimagining athlete monitoring for true indicative injury prevention

Abstract

Injury prevention and performance optimisation in sports are evolving from generic strategies to more personalised, timely and data-informed approaches. Traditional systems often rely on infrequent assessments and binary classifications of injury, which fail to reflect the complexity of athlete health. This perspective advocates for a refined approach to athlete screening and monitoring that captures historical and real-time data to support precise, context-driven decisions. We differentiate between screening as a point-in-time evaluation of underlying risk and monitoring as the continuous assessment of an athlete's changing condition. The key principles of this approach include using valid, outcome-specific measures, timely data collection close to decision points and seamless integration into daily practice. By moving beyond simplistic metrics and incorporating advanced analytical techniques, this approach offers a more nuanced and proactive way to manage athlete health. It bridges the gap between research and real-world application, supporting better decision-making and long-term performance outcomes.

Keywords: Injuries; Prevention; Sports & exercise medicine.

Figure 1. The holistic performance puzzle that integrates load, load capacity, performance and health in sports. Red lines represent negative relationships. Green lines represent positive relationships. Adapted from Verhagen and Gabbett.

Figure 2. Health monitoring is a continuous process that combines historical and real-time data to predict future health outcomes.