Biosensor technologies in sports sciences: Applications, advantages, and future perspectives

Year 2025, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 27 - 40, 29.12.2025

Yusuf Gözaçık

Abstract

In sports sciences, the need for objective, continuous, and reliable measurement methods has been increasing in order to enhance performance, manage training load, and protect athlete health. In this context, biosensor technologies have emerged as innovative tools that enable real-time monitoring of physiological, biochemical, and biomechanical parameters. The aim of this review study is to comprehensively evaluate the types of biosensors used in sports sciences, their application areas, the advantages they offer, and their current limitations in light of the existing literature. This study was conducted as a traditional narrative review based on peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2025 and indexed in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Within the scope of the review, wearable, electrochemical, and optical biosensors were examined in relation to training load monitoring, performance assessment, injury risk reduction, and the evaluation of stress and recovery processes. The reviewed studies indicate that biosensors support individualized training approaches and field-based applicability by providing continuous and non-invasive measurements. In particular, the real-time monitoring of heart rate, energy expenditure, biochemical markers, and stress responses contributes significantly to performance optimization. However, data security concerns, lack of standardization, and technical limitations remain major barriers to the widespread adoption of biosensor technologies in sports settings. Overall, biosensors provide substantial contributions to performance and health monitoring in sports sciences; nevertheless, further research addressing technical, methodological, and ethical challenges is required to ensure their effective and reliable implementation.

Keywords

Athletic Performance , Athlete Health , Training Load , Biosensors , Wearable Sensors

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