Sport and Global Positioning System (GPS)
Using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to track your movements has numerous applications in the world of sports. On the sporting field, players are wearing units which track their every move, which the coaching staff can later analyze. Individual cyclists and runners can use a GPS to log their training distances and courses.
It can also be used by recreational skiers to monitor their runs. At the end of a training session or the end of a day of skiing, you can download and print off you movements, and know how far you went and the speeds you traveled. With some units you can even overlay this information on a map. Depending on the unit, you can record accurate readings of your speed, distance traveled, time, gradient, calories used, pace, total ascent and descent.
see the Polar GPS Speed and Distance Sensor
Limitations
Due to their reliance on getting a clear satellite signal, the GPS units do not work in all conditions (indoors and outside), in urban city settings with tall buildings or very heavily wooded trails. GPS has not been proven to be accurate for monitoring short-term distances and speeds, which is what you would need when analyzing the performance of team-sport athletes.
Related Pages
- Buy the Polar GPS Speed and Distance Sensor
- More Testing Equipment
- Foot Pod for measuring running speed
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