Wearable electronic devices in parasports: A focused review on para athlete classification

Abstract

AbstractWearable electronic devices are being used to evaluate movement patterns, track workload, prevent injuries, and optimize performance in athletes. Para athletes have unique characteristics to consider separately from the general population. One such difference in competitive parasports includes consideration of athlete classification systems. These sport‐specific classification systems consider athletes' eligible medical conditions that lead to permanent physical, visual, and/or intellectual impairments and objectively evaluate the impact of their impairments on sport functions. Para athletes are assigned sport classes and compete with athletes of similar functional levels. This promotes equitable opportunities to compete while minimizing the effect their impairment has on their sport performance. With recent reports of misrepresentation or incorrect and unfair classification providing unfair advantages to some athletes, parasports classification has been controversial. Having an objective, evidence‐based, and fair classification system in parasports is critical to maintain the integrity of parasports competition. Wearable electronic devices have potential to provide more objective analysis of movement patterns in para athletes to assist in sport classification. This review identifies and analyzes the available literature on wearable electronic technology and its role in parasports classification. A comprehensive PubMed and Google Scholar search identified six articles included in this review. These studies used inertial sensors, motion capture systems, or surface electromyography in wheelchair basketball, rugby, tennis, sit skiing, and boccia. This review identifies the potential value of wearable electronic devices to assist in parasports classification. Additional studies are needed to create standardized protocols for each sport and sensor type.