Arsene Wenger used one word to describe how technology has developed within sport during his 22 years as Arsenal manager - “Incredible”. Arsenal Sports Scientist, Tom Allen, sees this daily and, in his presentation, described the changes over time - from a simple stopwatch, to thousands of data points that must be distilled into actionable information. Tom offered incredible insight into how one of the world’s most successful soccer clubs are making sure they use the right technology at the right time to get the right results. “Practitioners can have all the information in the world but the data itself won’t affect the outcome without building a rapport with people, and your own knowledge of the data," said Tom. "That is why it is paramount we’re able to find the signals within the noise and it is people like Firstbeat who can help us do this.”

2. FIRSTBEAT
HRV SUMMIT 2018
TECHNOLOGY IN ELITE
SPORT
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
TOM ALLEN
LEAD SPORTS SCIENTIST
#HRVSUMMIT

3. AN INFLUX OF TECHNOLOGY
#HRVSUMMIT
GPS
PRE + POST
QUESTIONNAIRE
TECHNICAL TACTICAL PHYSICAL
PLAYER MEDICAL
ANALYSIS
DAILY
MONITORING
VIDEO TRACKING
GYM LOAD
SLEEP
MONITORING
HEART RATE
ANALYSIS

4. THOUSANDS OF DATA POINTS…
#HRVSUMMIT
FOR ONE DAY…
FOR ONE PLAYER…
FROM ONE SOURCE…
WITH MORE TECHNOLOGY BEING CREATED!

5. #HRVSUMMIT
BE ABLE TO FILTER
OUT THE SIGNAL
FROM THE NOISE

6. TRAINING: “BACK IN THE DAY”
#HRVSUMMIT
“WHO NEEDS TECHNOLOGY…. WE JUST WORKED
HARD IN MY DAY”

7. TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS US TO MEASURE THIS
#HRVSUMMIT
BUT HOW HARD?
AND HOW THEY RESPOND!

8. THE INTRODUCTION OF “TECHNOLOGY”
#HRVSUMMIT
THE PEN AND PAPER APPROACH

9. THE INTRODUCTION OF “TECHNOLOGY”
THE PEN AND PAPER APPROACH
#HRVSUMMIT
MOST SIMPLE FORM OF FEEDBACK
DIFFICULTY WELLNESS SESSION
RICH SOURCE OF INFORMATION
TODAY IT IS STILL THE MOST
IMPORTANT PIECE OF
INFORMATION
THE RAPPORT BUILDER

10. THE INTRODUCTION OF “TECHNOLOGY”
THE PEN AND PAPER APPROACH
#HRVSUMMIT
THE LINKS:
WHAT WOULD A DIFFICULT
SESSION LOOK LIKE
LONGITUDINAL TRENDS OF
PLAYERS
LONGITUDINAL TRENDS OF THE
TEAM

11. THE INTRODUCTION OF “TECHNOLOGY”
THE STOPWATCH
#HRVSUMMIT
TIME THE RUNS
TIME THE REST
LINK WITH THE SELF REPORTED
DATA

12. #HRVSUMMIT
THE INTRODUCTION OF “TECHNOLOGY”
HEART RATE
MEASURING THE RESPONSE OF THE
PLAYER THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
CAN NOW SEE THE PHYSIOLOGICAL
RESPONSE

13. #HRVSUMMIT
THE INTRODUCTION OF “TECHNOLOGY”
GPS
BRINGING TOGETHER THE EXTERNAL +
INTERNAL RESPONSES

14. TODAY: AN INFLUX OF
TECHNOLOGY
#HRVSUMMIT
INFORMATIVE
ACCURATE
RELIABLE
INFORMATION
WITH SO MUCH DATA
AVAILABLE DO
PRACTITIONERS KNOW
WHAT TO LOOK AT?

15. DECIDING ON THE IMPORTANT
INFORMATION
#HRVSUMMIT
DETERMINE THE OBJECTIVES
1. REDUCE INJURY RISK
2. ENHANCE PHYSICAL
PERFORMANCE
EVERYTHING WE LOOK AT IS
AIMED TOWARDS THESE
OBJECTIVES

16. WHAT MEASURES AFFECT THE
OBJECTIVES
#HRVSUMMIT
A RESEARCH DRIVEN APPROACH
STRESS!
NUMBER OF WAYS OF MEASURING
STRESS
DETERMINE FROM OUR SOURCE OF
DATA WHAT IS RELEVANT

17. MEASURING THE STRESS OF
THE PLAYER
#HRVSUMMIT
TRANSFER A RANGE
OF DATA SOURCES
INTO A STRESS SCORE
FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
CANNOT JUST THROW
DATA INTO AN ALGORITHM

18. STRESS BREAKDOWN
#HRVSUMMIT
SKELETAL
CARDIOVASCULA
R
NEUROMUSCULA
R
METABOLIC
PSYCHOLOGICAL
KEY
5
4
3
2
1
4
3
3
2
3

19. STRESS BREAKDOWN
#HRVSUMMIT
CARDIOVASCULA
R
KEY
5
4
3
2
1
EX AL CL TE E1 E2 V1 VOL INT
2 3 3 2 1 2 2 1 1
4 1 2 3 3 1 3 2 5
2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
2 3 3 2 3 3 1 1 2
3 3 2 3 1 1 1 1 3
5 5 5 5 5 5 3 4 5
VARIABLE
CATEGORISING A RANGE
OF VARIABLES
TO PRODUCE A MORE
COMPLETE PICTURE

20. #HRVSUMMIT
SKELETAL
CARDIOVASCULA
R
NEUROMUSCULA
R
METABOLIC
PSYCHOLOGICAL
KEY
5
4
3
2
1
LONGITUDINAL DATA
4
3
2
3
3
STRESS BREAKDOWN

21. #HRVSUMMIT
A GRAPH THAT TELLS A STORY
2 KEY MEASUREMENTS
MONITORING STRESS

22. #HRVSUMMIT
LOAD
1,000s OF VARIABLES
DIFFERENT SOURCES OF INFO
TRACKED SCORE
A GRAPH THAT TELLS A STORY
MONITORING STRESS

23. #HRVSUMMIT
WELLNESS 35 MEASUREMENTS
TRACKED ALONGSIDE LOAD
HOW IS THE PLAYER RESPONDING?
BETTER THAN PREVIOUS
WORSE THAN PREVIOUS
A GRAPH THAT TELLS A STORY
MONITORING STRESS

24. #HRVSUMMIT
1. LACK OF GAME TIME. REDUCED TRAINING DUE TO MUSCLE ISSUE. WELLNESS REDUCED
1
2. GAME TIME + FREQUENCY OF GAMES INCREASE ç PLAYER ENTERS “OVERLOAD”
2
3. OVERLOAD CAUSES FATIGUE. PLAYERS PERCEPTION + WELLNESS REDUCED (COMMON
SENSE)
3
A GRAPH THAT TELLS A STORY

25. #HRVSUMMIT
THOUSANDS OF DATA POINTS SEVERAL MEASURES
ONE PAGE OVERVIEW
ACTIONABLE DATA
CAN DELVE DEEPER
HIGHLIGHTS INDIVIDUALS
PROMOTES DISCUSSION
MONITORING STRESS

26. #HRVSUMMIT
MONITORING STRESS
THOUSANDS OF DATA POINTS SEVERAL MEASURES
ONE PAGE OVERVIEW
ACTIONABLE DATA
CAN DELVE DEEPER
HIGHLIGHTS INDIVIDUALS
PROMOTES DISCUSSION
THE PMI SYSTEM

27. #HRVSUMMIT
THE PMI SYSTEM
DATA HELPING US MAKE SMARTER DECISIONS
PROTECT
MAINTAIN INCREASE
OVERLOAD
POOR WELLNESS
+
RECENT
OVERLOAD
NEEDS AN
OVERLOAD
FRESH
+

28. #HRVSUMMIT
PROTECT
MAINTAIN
INCREASE
OVERLOAD
POOR WELLNESS
+
RECENT
OVERLOAD
NEEDS AN
OVERLOAD
FRESH
+
THE PMI SYSTEM
DATA HELPING US MAKE SMARTER DECISIONS

29. #HRVSUMMIT
INCREASE
NEEDS AN
OVERLOAD
FRESH
+
PROTECT
OVERLOAD
POOR WELLNESS
+
MAINTAIN
RECENT
OVERLOAD
THE PMI SYSTEM
DATA HELPING US MAKE SMARTER DECISIONS

30. #HRVSUMMIT
GOING INTO MORE DETAIL
9 22 9 16 13 20 12 18 9 15 13 24 12 25 12 21
METABOLIC
LAST 7 DAYS 7 - 14 DAYS 14 - 21 DAYS 21 - 28 DAYS LAST 7 DAYS 7 - 14 DAYS 14 - 21 DAYS 21 - 28 DAYS LAST 7 DAYS 7 - 14 DAYS 14 - 21 DAYS 21 - 28 DAYS
NEUROMUSCULAR CARDIOVASCULARSKELETAL
LAST 7 DAYS 7 - 14 DAYS 14 - 21 DAYS 21 - 28 DAYS
HIGH SPEED RUNS
WORK:REST RATIO
THE UNDERLYING DATA HIGHLIGHTS THE AREAS WE NEED TO
TACKLE TO PREPARE THE PLAYER
KEY
HIGH
MOD
LOW

31. #HRVSUMMIT
GOING INTO MORE DETAIL
SAME DRILL. WORK TO REST CHANGES HEART RATE RESPONSE

32. #HRVSUMMIT
GOING INTO MORE DETAIL
9 22 9 16 13 20 12 18 9 15 13 24 12 25 12 21
METABOLIC
LAST 7 DAYS 7 - 14 DAYS 14 - 21 DAYS 21 - 28 DAYS LAST 7 DAYS 7 - 14 DAYS 14 - 21 DAYS 21 - 28 DAYS LAST 7 DAYS 7 - 14 DAYS 14 - 21 DAYS 21 - 28 DAYS
NEUROMUSCULAR CARDIOVASCULARSKELETAL
LAST 7 DAYS 7 - 14 DAYS 14 - 21 DAYS 21 - 28 DAYS
HIGH SPEED RUNS
WORK UNDER
FATIGUE
WORK:REST RATIO
CHANGE OF
DIRECTION
THE UNDERLYING DATA HIGHLIGHTS THE AREAS WE NEED TO
TACKLE TO PREPARE THE PLAYER
KEY
HIGH
MOD
LOW

33. #HRVSUMMIT
WHERE ARE
WE NOW?

34. #HRVSUMMIT
THE LEVEL OF DETAIL WE
CAN GO INTO ALLOWS US
TO BREAK BOUNDARIES
WE NEVER THOUGHT
WERE POSSIBLE
HOWEVER…

35. WE MUST
REMEMBER
WHICH DATA
ASSISTS
OUR
OBJECTIVES
#HRVSUMMIT

36. THE TECHNOLOGY AND
DATA WILL NEVER
AFFECT THE OUTCOME
THE PEOPLE INTERPRETING THAT DATA
WILL
#HRVSUMMIT

37. THANKS FOR LISTENING
@tallen_5
#HRVSUMMIT