The Athlete’s Career Insurance: Implementation of Monitoring Tools to Prevent Underperformance in Sports

An article written by Sophie Herzog, Øyvind Sandbakk, Trond Nystad, Rune Talsnes

Monitoring and tracking various markers of an athlete’s load-recovery balance does not only serve the purpose of optimizing performance, but also provides better prevention and faster recovery from Unexplained Underperformance in Sport (UUPS).[i] In this blogpost, we argue that implementation of a good decision-support system will be the cornerstone of an athlete’s career insurance.

Current monitoring tools and systems encompass a wide range of measures. For example, both external (e.g., speed or power) and internal (e.g., heart rate, lactate, rate of perceived exertion) intensity measures provide important information of an athlete’s status during training sessions. In addition, fatigue, and recovery indices such as resting heart rate, heart rate variability and sleep trackers are also increasingly used to measure an athlete’s well-being. However, systematic collection of these objective measures should be combined with the athletes’ own perceptions of their training, recovery, and general well-being. Coaches and other staff working with the athletes can also be an important source of information that should be integrated and used to detect early warning signs of underperformance.

Collecting data and observing the progress and state of an athlete is key to development. It is important that both positive AND negative signs are used to lead the athlete to take wise decisions. Note, that a systematic process involving collection of data alone are not of much use if required actions (e.g. training planning and execution) are not adapted to the situation. It is not always easy to accept that the results are not normal or as desired, but for a speedy recovery it is imminent to adapt and reduce overall load (inside and outside of training). Ignoring “bad signs” and not reacting correctly can lead to a prolonged recovery process or the end of a career.

Now, we will delve deeper into some of the most used monitoring tools and systems and discuss how they can help athletes and coaches optimize performance and prevent underperformance (see Table 1 for an overview of some of the most important tools).

One of the simplest, yet most effective tool, is the systematic use of a training diary. Athletes should systematically record their training load, their physiological condition and recovery status as well as their mental state in a training diary. This is a diary in which the athlete records training data, fitness, recovery status and documents important thoughts that are relevant to the athletes’ training and development process. The training diary is a living document, often in the form of an online platform (e.g., TrainingPeaks), which should be well maintained, constantly updated, and carefully analyzed by the coach and the athlete. A well-kept training diary serves as a “lighthouse” for the athlete and the coach when it comes to discussing and making decisions about training planning and development. The training diary is therefore an incredibly useful tool to engage in a frequent dialogue with the athlete, which is important for a strong coach-athlete relationship, even more so if the coach cannot be present at all training sessions.

Regular physiological tests are important to ensure that the training is going in the right direction. These can be laboratory tests every 6-8 weeks (e.g., submaximal lactate profiles, VO2max test etc.) or monitoring of physiological and perceptual markers at standardized workloads during weekly key training sessions. For instance, most coaches and athletes look at the relationship between external (i.e., a set speed or power) and internal (i.e., measures of heart rate, lactate concentrations, rate of perceived exertion) training intensity measures and observe how they develop in conjunction with the training load, the environmental conditions and the athlete’s well-being. This provides effective learning on how the athlete responds to training but is also effective for early detection of underperformance. It is important, to not think of these tests as a competition or an arena where new “world records” must be set. The most important purpose with the test is to see whether the athletes’ performance is in “range” of what is to be expected given the training and other circumstances.  

Physiologically, the body has two main regulatory systems; the autonomic nervous system and the hormonal/endocrine system. These systems work together to 1) mobilize resources to accommodate for various stress factors (e.g. high training load), and 2) enhance recovery and get the body back into balance, thereby facilitating adaptive responses. While there are, as of now, no wearable devices or tests that allow hormones to be measured and interpreted directly, frequently and accurately, the autonomic nervous system’s balance can be indicated by measuring resting heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV). To test these parameters at rest (i.e., overnight or first thing in the morning) is increasingly used to monitor the autonomic stress balance and indicate the interaction of training load, other stress and lifestyle factors and recovery. This will especially provide useful information on the influence of changes in “life stress”, for instance when athletes are traveling, changing environmental conditions, or when personal issues arise. These measurements should be conducted daily, so that there is a solid baseline to compare against. It is important that athletes have a consistent measurement routine and can contextualize their readings. Therefore, in addition to heart rate and HRV, it makes sense to keep track of other standard questions about general wellbeing (e.g., mood, stress, sleep quality) and lifestyle (e.g., caffeine intake, alcohol consumption, travel) daily. 

To keep track of hormonal balance, men should monitor their morning erection, while women should closely monitor their menstrual cycle, as deviations may indicate a hormonal imbalance. Note that hormonal disbalances can also be associated with low energy or carbohydrate intake compared to energy expenditure. Psychological markers are also often used in this regard, which can be useful and should be monitored regularly. Commonly used psychological questionnaires are the Profile of Mood States (POMS)[ii] or theRecovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (REST-Q)[iii], which are suitable for early detection, but also to monitor recovery from UUPS.

Medical health controls and regular blood work should also be completed on a regular basis to avoid deficiencies, cardiopulmonary conditions or other potentially interfering issues and ensure that the athlete is healthy and capable to respond positively to training. In case of a state of underperformance, medical examinations are used to rule out any medical conditions as the major underlying cause.

Finally, it is important to acknowledge that the signs and symptoms of UUPS include a wide range of physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms that can be mistaken for or overlap with other disorders that are prevalent in the general and sport population. In this context, coaches play an important role by “knowing” the athlete and being attentive to changes in the athletes’ state. The coach therefore takes a crucial holistic and observational role for early detection and management of unexplained underperformance.

If you want to safeguard performance and build your own insurance system against underperformance, reach out to us today for more information, support, or just to get in touch!

[i] Meeusen R, Duclos M, Foster C, et al. Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the overtraining syndrome: joint consensus statement of the European College of Sport Science and the American College of Sports Medicine. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Jan 2013;45(1):186-205. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e318279a10a

[ii] Berger BG, Motl RW. Exercise and mood: A selective review and synthesis of research employing the profile of mood states. J Appl Sport Psychol. 2000;12(1):69–92.

[iii] Kellmann M, Kallus KW. Recovery-stress questionnaire for athletes: User manual: Human Kinetics; 2001.