Wearable technology in sport

Protocol for a scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: Wearable technology has grown rapidly over the last decade and exists within sport in many forms such as smart jewellery (e.g., watches, wristbands, and rings), body-mounted sensors and smart clothing. Technologies placed on the skin can measure physiological variables such as heart rate, breathing rate, and blood glucose. With the exponential expansion of wearable technology, there remains a large degree of uncertainty regarding the breadth and depth of available technologies with applications to sporting activities. The objective of the scoping review is to investigate which wearable technologies placed on the skin have been developed or are in development for use in sporting activities to measure physiological variables.

Methods: The review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute and reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews known as the PRISMA-ScR. Four databases (i.e., Pub-Med, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science), two grey literature databases (i.e., Open Grey and EthOS) and conference proceedings (i.e., IEEE International Workshop on Wearable and Implantable Body Sensor Networks) will be searched. Two independent reviewers will initially screen the title and abstracts, before then assessing the full text of the remaining articles. The relevant data will be extracted and presented in tabular form with a narrative summary.

Dissemination: The scoping review will summarise the available literature that utilises wearable technology applicable for sport, with the findings used to direct future sensors and research. The authors aim to publish the review in a peer-reviewed journal and present the findings at a relevant conference.