Digital Technologies Reshaping Performance and Recovery in Modern Sports

Abstract

General Background: The global sports sector is undergoing rapid digital transformation driven by wearable sensors, analytics platforms, artificial intelligence, and immersive technologies. Specific Background: Elite and mid-tier sports organizations increasingly integrate real-time monitoring, virtual simulations, and data-based workload management into training, officiating, and rehabilitation systems. Knowledge Gap: Despite widespread adoption, comparative synthesis across team sports, individual sports, and e-sports—particularly regarding performance metrics, injury reduction rates, and cost structures—remains fragmented. Aims: This review synthesizes recent scholarly and industry evidence to examine adoption patterns, technological integration levels, recovery applications, and budgetary dimensions across sport categories. Results: Findings indicate reductions in overuse injuries (22%), improved early fatigue detection (~35%), shortened rehabilitation timelines (25%), and measurable gains in motor skill execution (~15%), alongside market growth projections exceeding USD 105 billion by 2033. Novelty: The study integrates performance analytics, rehabilitation technologies, economic data, and ethical considerations within a unified cross-sport analytical framework. Implications: Results underscore the need for balanced governance, equitable access models, and athlete-centered data policies to maintain competitive integrity while navigating accelerating technological expansion.
Highlights:

• Measurable reductions in injury and rehabilitation duration through monitored training systems.

• Rapid digitization across soccer, tennis, rugby, and e-sports ecosystems.

• Expanding global market with widening budget disparities between clubs.

Keywords:Digital Sports Technology; Wearable Analytics; Injury Recovery Systems; Sports Data Governance; Performance Monitoring