Worn out?

Heart-rate variability, blood glucose levels, sweat rate... the list of metrics you can measure in cycling is exhaustive and exhausting. It begs the question, when it comes to technology, can you have too much of a good thing?

- Words James Witts

Sports technology is undergoing unprecedented growth. Where once cutting-edge advancements were the sole preserve of teams with big budgets, now all of us have access to 'performance data' via our smartwatches and bike computers. It's big business, with the wearable technology market alone estimated at $95bn in 2025 and expected to grow to $115bn by 2030. Objective data ensures you make the right training and lifestyle decisions for peak riding speed. That's the theory, but is that the reality? Be honest - was your latest tech purchase guided more by your heart or your head? Let's investigate whether all this technology is actually helping or hindering your performance...

TO TECH OR NOT TO TECH...?

Johann Windt is the senior director of analytics, insights and research at Canadian soccer team Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He has a PhD in experimental medicine and a particular interest in the use of data in sport and its usefulness - so much so that he co-authored a 2020 paper in the Journal of Athletic Training entitled 'To Tech or Not to Tech? A Critical Decision-Making Framework for Implementing Technology in Sport'. Within this, Windt and his team reviewed the vision and pitfalls behind technology's role in sport.

"The paper came out of a talk I delivered at the World Physiotherapy Congress," says Windt. "At the congress, like at most conferences, you walk through the halls, and they're just lined with technologies and manufacturers selling their wares. There are so many options. Teams and individuals notice other teams and individuals are buying these new technologies and do the same. 'You got GPS?' you might ask. 'Of course,' they might reply. 'What are you going to do with the GPS?' is your next question. 'We're not sure,' they reveal. You simply don't need the technology if you don't know what to do with it.