Reimagining athlete monitoring for true indicative injury prevention.

Abstract

Injury prevention and performance optimisation in sports are evolving from generic strategies to more personalised, timely and data-informed approaches. Traditional systems often rely on infrequent assessments and binary classifications of injury, which fail to reflect the complexity of athlete health. This perspective advocates for a refined approach to athlete screening and monitoring that captures historical and real-time data to support precise, context-driven decisions. We differentiate between screening as a point-in-time evaluation of underlying risk and monitoring as the continuous assessment of an athlete's changing condition. The key principles of this approach include using valid, outcome-specific measures, timely data collection close to decision points and seamless integration into daily practice. By moving beyond simplistic metrics and incorporating advanced analytical techniques, this approach offers a more nuanced and proactive way to manage athlete health. It bridges the gap between research and real-world application, supporting better decision-making and long-term performance outcomes.