Tracking devices and physical performance analysis in team sports: a comprehensive framework for research-trends and future directions

António Ferraz; Pedro Duarte-Mendes; Hugo Sarmento; João Valente-Dos-Santos; Bruno Travassos

doi:10.3389/fspor.2023.1284086

Tracking devices and physical performance analysis in team sports: a comprehensive framework for research-trends and future directions

Front Sports Act Living. 2023 Nov 23:5:1284086. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1284086. eCollection 2023.

Authors

António Ferraz^{1

2

3}, Pedro Duarte-Mendes^{4

5}, Hugo Sarmento⁶, João Valente-Dos-Santos^{7

8}, Bruno Travassos^{2

9}

Affiliations

¹ CIFD, Sports Research, and Training Center, Jean Piaget University of Angola, Luanda, Angola.
² Department of Sport Sciences, CIDESD, Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences, and Human Development, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
³ KinesioLab - Research Unit in Human Movement, Institute of Piaget, Almada, Portugal.
⁴ Department of Sport and Well Being, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
⁵ Sport, Health and Exercise Research Unit-SHERU, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
⁶ Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁷ CIDEFES, Centre for Research in Sport, Physical Education, Exercise and Health, Lusófona University, Lisbon, Portugal.
⁸ COD, Center of Sports Optimization, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal.
⁹ Portugal Football Scholl, Portugal Football Federation, Lisbon, Portugal.

Abstract

Background: Tracking devices, such as global (GPS) and local (LPS) positioning systems, combined with physiological measurements, have become reliable tools to characterize movement patterns, assessing the external load (EL), internal load (IL), fatigue, and performance of athletes in team sports. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the applicability of tracking systems in physical performance analysis within team sports and the wellbeing of athletes based on research strategies and combined variables.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus databases according to PRISMA guidelines. The 79 studies that were reviewed met the following criteria: (1) contained relevant data regarding elite athletes' performance; (2) athletes' EL and IL; (3) were written in the English language; (4) were related only to team sports.

Results: The findings indicate that tracking technology has been engaged in several research areas, including performance analysis, training vs. match load management, injuries, and nutrition, through characterization and correlational studies. Metrics, primarily focused on kinematic and mechanical EL aspects, have been employed in combination with IL data to analyze the performance of athletes. However, the lack of an integrative model for the analysis and integration of EL and IL metrics within each team sport suggests an interesting direction for further research.

Conclusion: There is a need for coherence between the methods and the research goals on performance analysis. The development of a framework that guides experimental studies is highly recommended, particularly on manipulating metrics analyzed between training and match sessions, injury prevention, and nutrition. This will lead to the development of the most applied sports science research to improve the preparation and decision-making of athletes based on reliable data.

Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/?s=2022120039, identifier 2022120039.

Keywords: elite athletes; global positioning systems; local positioning systems; performance analysis; training and development.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.