How Wearables are Transforming Sports (With Dr. Reuben Burch) - Ep #121

In this episode, Dr. Burch delves into the world of wearables, highlighting a comprehensive 2019 study, their role in enhancing athletic performance, and addressing challenges, trust issues, and the future of these devices in elite to grassroots sports.

About The Episode: 

I’ve been pretty active with various sports and athletic activities most of my life. But I’ve never used wearables to track and try to improve my stats. I’ve spoken at length with friends in the past who have and since then I’ve been curious about how wearables and technology in general are and will impact professional performance. And I’m lucky enough to dive into the topic today with my Guest, Dr. Reuben Burch. 

We discuss the current landscape of wearables and spotlight a significant 2019 study that engaged over 100 trainers. Through Dr. Burch's insights, we explore the pivotal data these devices capture and their impact on athletic performance. We also touch upon the challenges and trust issues concerning wearables when used by athletes and trainers alike. We finish the discussion with Dr. Burch predicting the trajectory of wearables in both elite and grassroots sports. 

Article on wearables: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1747954119885244 

About The Guest:

Dr. Reuben Burch is the Associate Vice President for Research out of the Office of Research and Economic Development at Mississippi State University. He is also an Associate Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering, the Jack Hatcher Endowed Chair for Engineering Entrepreneurship, the Associate Director of Athlete Engineering at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Center (CAVS), and founder of Athlete Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU). He has served as a logistics and technology advisor for numerous universities and multiple Fortune 100 companies around the world and currently serves as an advisor for elite wearable technology companies. He also presently serves as a consultant to the world’s largest venture capital firms due to his entrepreneurial experience.

University profile: https://www.ise.msstate.edu/people/faculty/reuben-burch/ 

Reuben’s patents: https://patents.justia.com/inventor/reuben-f-burch Athlete Engineering: https://www.cavs.msstate.edu/research/athlete_engineering.php

TimeCodes:

00:01:31 - Intro
00:03:39 - Discussion Begins
00:04:38 - Rueben's journey to wearables
00:08:17 - Early research on wearables in sports
00:13:27 - The benefits of using wearables for athletes
00:15:54 - Types of wearables
00:19:20 - Was there a competitive advantage gained?
00:22:39 - Initial Pushback to the wearables
00:28:02 - Limitations to wearables
00:33:21 - Data privacy issues
00:36:33 - Do wearables make teams win?
00:40:08 - Will athletes use more wearables in the future?
00:43:18 - The future of wearables in sport
00:45:09 - Does technology ruin sports?
00:49:13 - Conclusion and where to follow Rueben