Do Wearables Actually Improve Performance?

Wearable technology has transformed endurance running. Training and racing are now guided by continuous streams of physiological and behavioural data — from pace and heart rate to sleep, recovery, and predicted performance. But how does this shift from perception to measurement affect performance? This lecture examines the science of the quantified runner, focusing on: The evolution of monitoring from stopwatch to multi-sensor ecosystems The distinction between external load and internal load Experimental evidence on feedback, pacing, and performance regulation The cognitive and behavioural effects of real-time data The validity and limitations of wearable-derived metrics Emerging issues such as predictive optimisation and “digital doping” Drawing on contemporary research in exercise physiology and pacing theory, the lecture considers a central question: As decision-making becomes increasingly data-driven, what role remains for the athlete’s own perception of effort? 0:00 Introduction: Running Before Technology 1:19 The Evolution of Training Monitoring 2:03 External Load vs Internal Load 2:43 GPS, Wearables, and the Data Ecosystem 4:52 The Limits of Wearable Accuracy 5:53 Wearables as Behavioural Feedback (Closed-Loop Control) 6:38 What Does the Research Actually Show? 7:53 Why Knowing the Finish Matters 8:43 When Feedback Improves Performance (Slightly) 9:33 Too Much Data: Cognitive Overload 10:08 The Internal Pacing Model and RPE 11:06 Wearables in Competition and “Digital Doping” 13:02 Precision vs Validity: The Data Paradox 14:21 The Future: Prediction, Automation, and Digital Twins 16:10 Final Question: Athlete or Algorithm? References: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2019.... https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2009.057315 https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-2008... https://doi.org/10.1007/s13534-021-00... https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.000000000... https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16020097 https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2008.056416 https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2009.057562 https://doi.org/10.1249/01.MSS.000015... https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2... https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00348 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00591 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.60... https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare120... https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.... https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2009.057315 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17461391.20... https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-013-00... https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-013-00... https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-01... https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02... https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56... https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-01...