Bioimpedance Analysis and Infrared Thermography as Emerging Tools for Sports Performance Monitoring and Injury Risk Assessment

The field of sports science is increasingly shaped by technological innovations that enable precise, non-invasive monitoring of athletes' physiological responses. Among the tools gaining attention, Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA) and Infrared Thermography (IRT) stand out as promising methods for assessing body composition, hydration status, and peripheral temperature patterns. Despite their established utility in clinical research, the translation of these methodologies to sports performance settings remains limited. Current evidence suggests that IRT can reveal patterns related to muscle activation, inflammation, and vascular responses, while BIA provides key indicators of fluid distribution and tissue composition, both of which are critical for maintaining optimal performance and preventing injury. Yet, methodological heterogeneity, absence of normative data for athletes, and limited longitudinal validation hinder their full integration into everyday practice. As sports continue to professionalize and data-driven decision-making becomes central, understanding how to effectively deploy and interpret these technologies is an urgent challenge.This Research Topic aims to consolidate current evidence, develop standardized protocols, and evaluate the predictive potential of BIA and IRT in sports environments. The scope explicitly includes studies that employ both techniques simultaneously, as well as those that use each method independently, provided they address the outlined objectives on monitoring or injury risk assessment. It seeks to answer critical questions such as: How can infrared thermography and bioimpedance metrics be harmonized for practical athlete monitoring? What thresholds or asymmetry values indicate elevated injury risk or suboptimal recovery? How do these physiological markers evolve during training load fluctuations, competition, or rehabilitation? Contributions are encouraged to explore not only laboratory-based validations but also field-based and wearable applications of these techniques, capturing real-time physiological responses in ecological training and competition settings. Contributions exploring methodological advances, validation efforts, and applied case studies across different sports disciplines will be particularly valuable. Ultimately, the goal is to bridge the gap between laboratory research and real-world athletic contexts, enhancing the accuracy and applicability of these emerging tools.This Research Topic encompasses research that investigates the practical boundaries and interdisciplinary scope of bioimpedance and infrared thermography in sports performance monitoring and injury prevention. To gather further insights across this emerging field, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Validation and reliability of BIA and IRT protocols under sport-specific conditions, including comparisons between laboratory, field, and wearable-derived measurements• Longitudinal monitoring of athletes across training, competition, and recovery phases• Multimodal integration with other monitoring tools (e.g., GPS, HRV, wellness indicators)• Development of predictive models for overuse or acute injuries• Influence of environmental, technical, and biological factors on measurement accuracy• Athlete and practitioner perspectives on practical implementation and usability• Ethical and data governance considerations in continuous athlete surveillanceArticle types welcomed: original research, systematic reviews, methodological papers, and applied case studies. Topic editors: Alessandra Amato, Luca Petrigna, Paulo Roberto S. Amorim Amorim Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80699/bioimpedance-analysis-and-infrared-thermography-as-emerging-tools-for-sports-performance-monitoring-and-injury-risk-assessment