Whether it be in training sessions, pre-match warm-ups or even during a game at times, you’re probably aware of an unlikely phenomenon in men’s football: bras.
I know what you’re thinking and no, not that kind of bra – you’d hope a professional male footballer wouldn’t need one of those, anyway. These are special sports bras with GPS trackers, in fact.
So, why do male footballers wear sports bras? And what are the benefits from the player’s and manager’s perspective of donning these vests?
What Are the Vests Footballers Wear?
These black ‘half-vests’ or sports bras are made of neoprene and are fitted with a small GPS tracking device in a pouch in the back. This can then gather crucial performance data such as the player’s heart rate, distance covered and speed.
Often provided by GP Sports or STATSports, they also usually come with an accelerometer, wireless communication, a long-range radio and a heart rate receiver, as well as offering water resistance and up to four processors and five-and-a-half hours of battery life.
So, in terms of monitoring incremental progress in areas like fitness and development, for instance, these sports bras have become invaluable to football clubs.
Sports Bras – Advantages
First off, these black ‘half-vests’ offer a great deal of comfort. Before them, footballers would often wear older sports bras which weren’t quite such a seamless fit, and many felt had a detrimental effect on their performances on their pitch.
From a coach or manager’s point of view, the depth of detail these bras produce also makes them so pivotal. You can identify any anomalies in the squad or any players under significant levels of stress in training, as well as comparing recent sessions with one another, too. This is also a great way of preventing more common injuries, such as to the hamstring.
What’s more, these GPS bras monitor each individual’s training demands as well as their own rehabilitation and recuperation programmes, producing reports of the highest order on each player.
Is a training drill too much for a certain player? Is his team-mate at a particularly high risk of injury, or recording an abnormal heart rate? Who is running more and fewer metres per minute than usual?
Thanks to these special hi-tech sports bras, clubs can finally know the answer to these questions game by game, training session by training session.
- FIFA authorised wearable GPS tracker designed to analyse and improve your football performance.
- Detailing your speed, distance, power, sprint distance, load, intensity, and positioning via heatmaps, our technology gives you a total understanding of your game.
- Compare your performance against friends, the competition and professional players to see how you match up.
- Improve your preparation, performance and recovery with expertise on training and nutrition from Premier League coaches.
- Set up a team and invite your team members to monitor your team's performance via the app.
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