Abstract
The ongoing Coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic abruptly halted athletic competition and standard training practices, consequently generating great confusion surrounding when and how to safely reintroduce sports. Therefore, tangible solutions disseminated to performance staff, coaches, and athletes are warranted to ensure optimal levels of health and physical performance for all personnel during both the current social distancing standards as well as the impending return of competition despite continued risks. In this commentary, we offer strategies for utilizing technology and data tools as components of longitudinal COVID-19 surveillance based on ongoing research efforts as well as current guidance from governing bodies, while also serving the performance needs of the athletes and staff. Recommended data sources include digital symptom and well-being surveys, standardized and routine physical performance testing, sleep and sleep physiology monitoring, cognitive applications, and temperature. This system is flexible to numerous commercially available products and is designed for easy implementation that permits instant feedback provided directly to the athlete as well as their support staff for early intervention, ultimately mitigating COVID-19 risks. We will discuss multiple options, including examples of data, data visualizations and recommendations for data interpretation and communication.
Highlights
In March of 2020, the Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) global pandemic instantly halted normal daily living for virtually all of humanity and, the sports world [1,2,3,4,5]
The foundations that our athletes use all year further allow me to monitor and help guide each athlete over the very difficult first 8 weeks of the pandemic. All of these tracking tools are fully voluntary for our athletes, but maximizing applied performance has become a fabric of our culture at West Virginia University and our athletes crave the ability to gain an edge in their performance, recovery and daily wellness
We propose a framework to modify existing athlete monitoring methods to continue current practice, but expand capabilities for COVID-19-specific surveillance to enable return to training and competition until a vaccine is available world-wide
Summary
In March of 2020, the Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) global pandemic instantly halted normal daily living for virtually all of humanity and, the sports world [1,2,3,4,5]. Many leagues and governing bodies are continuously releasing guidance on policies and procedures for a return to sport as they evolve, which leaves athletes and staff constantly scrambling for strategies to comply [11,12,13] This is a challenging endeavor for a fully staffed athletics department under normal circumstances, but must be accomplished during uncertain times with reduced budgets and staff. In this commentary, we present a sport science approach to complying with guidance as it is released, but remaining fully prepared for the potential of additional alterations to the current status quo. Perspectives from multiple practitioners and sport scientists regarding data/technology strategies, phases of implementation, and practical examples of data and data visualization are further discussed as well
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