Cleveland.com: OhioX and University Hospitals join forces for sports medicine technology summit
By Gretchen Cuda Kroen
July 25, 2024
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Wearable technology capable of tracking the smallest physical details for athletes could now just be starting to scratch the service in providing information sports at nearly all levels safer to play.
Experts in sports medicine and performance technology gathered at Browns Stadium Thursday morning to share insights on the intersection of sports, technology and healthcare.
Experts in the fields of sports medicine, orthopedics, athletic performance, technology and data science spoke to an audience of their peers about the ways emerging technology can help athletes of all ages and levels reach their goals and extend their careers.
New technology is helping build better, more resilient athletes “from pee-wee to pro,” said Dr. James Voos, orthopedic surgeon and teach physician for the Cleveland Browns.
Voos along with Browns Executive Vice President JW Johnson, opened the summit with a discussion about how advances in wearable technology are helping players, coaches and their doctors improve not only their performance, but optimize training regimens, and speed recovery after an injury.
Once limited to basics like heart rate monitors, wearable technology now includes body heat sensors, sweat sensors, and sensors imbedded inside sporting equipment that measures forces of impact, speed, direction, and timing. The amount of data sports scientists say they can now collect is vast, and they are only now scratching the surface of the type of information they can glean from athletes.
Others are using technology and AI to improve the mental aspects of athletes, creating virtual training coaches to help keep athletes motivated, positive and avoid burnout.
It all comes down to three categories says Voos: technology, equipment, and training.
Ohio, said conference organizers, has the advantage of having some of the best sports teams, as well as some of the best healthcare in the country. This unique pairing makes the state uniquely poised to be a leader in this new and emerging field.
“We think this is just the beginning,” said Chris Berry, President and CEO of OhioX one of the organizers of the summit.
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