As the World Cup takes place in Atlanta, CNN tapped School of Materials Science and Engineering adjunct professor and executive director of the Space Research Institute, Jud Ready, to provide insight on the materials science of the tournament. 

Millions of people use fitness trackers and smart rings to monitor their health, but the  World Cup athletes are using the same technology at a much more advanced level. Teams are collecting data from devices such as WHOOP bands, Oura Rings, performance vests, and sweat patches to track recovery, fatigue, sleep quality, hydration, and other biometric measures that can influence performance.

Experts say wearable technology helps athletes identify trends in their health and recovery so they can adjust training, rest, and nutrition. However, they emphasize that wearable data is only one part of a larger performance strategy that also includes medical evaluations, laboratory testing, and guidance from coaches and sports medicine professionals. 

There are several key metrics that everyday athletes can learn from, including sleep quality, heart rate and heart rate variability, body temperature, hydration levels, and recovery status. While elite teams use this information to gain a competitive edge, the same data can help recreational athletes make smarter decisions about training, recovery, and overall wellness. 

“We’re talking over many weeks, several months and ultimately years, so that you can see, ‘Oh, wow, my resting heart rate is going down, so that means my exercise is working.’ Or ‘it’s going up; that means I need to do more exercise,’” Ready said.

Along with tracking heart rate, Ready suggests quantifying the amount of exercise you get each day, your sleep performance and any emergency medical situations that the wearable device may have detected, such as falls or elevated blood pressure, which you may want to discuss with a doctor.

Read the full article on CNN's website.

LINK
https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/05/health/world-cup-teams-fitness-trackers-wellness