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Football training vests explained
- Updated: July 28, 2016
Ever wondered why players wear those black vests during training? As the 2015/16 season draws closer, Sky Sports investigate the cutting-edge technology being used by Premier League clubs…
Pre-season is a crucial period as clubs prepare for the new campaign, but how do they make sure their players are in peak physical condition for the gruelling months ahead?
Pep Guardiola has banned pizza and fruit juice at Manchester City while Antonio Conte is reportedly pushing his players to new extremes at Chelsea, but for many of the biggest sides at home and abroad, cutting-edge technology from STATSports is at the heart of preparations.
The Northern Ireland-based company are a pioneering influence in the sports science industry, and their player tracking and analysis equipment is used by 14 Premier League clubs, a host of international teams and European giants such as Barcelona and Juventus.
The key component of the system is the Viper pod, a matchbox-sized GPS device which sits between the shoulder blades, where it monitors heart rate and measures various aspects of physiological performance. The black vests which hold them in place have become a common sight on training grounds up and down the country, and the pods can be worn during matches, too.
Lionel Messi was seen wearing a Viper pod in the opening games of last season as Barcelona carefully eased him back into domestic action after an arduous summer at the Copa America, and the technology’s popularity has risen sharply in recent years. Richard Byrne, the head of business development at STATSports, explains how it works.
“Its function is to collect all of a player’s performance data,” Byrne tells Sky Sports. “That means basic things like distance covered and running speed, but also more in-depth metrics we have developed such as step balance and stress loads, really intricate details on performance, fitness and well-being.”
The pods collect vast quantities of data which is picked up by an antennae at the side of …
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