Technology-supported biomechanical and physiological assessment of performance in aquatic sports

Aquatic sports encompass diverse disciplines performed in pools, rivers, lakes, coastal waters and open-ocean environments. Water resistance, hydrodynamic forces, equipment–athlete interactions, unstable surfaces and changing environmental conditions create distinctive challenges for assessing performance. Limited access to laboratory-grade instrumentation during training and competition further complicates the measurement of technique, physiological demands, fatigue and efficiency. Although laboratory-based assessments remain valuable, they may not fully reflect the ecological conditions in which aquatic athletes perform.Recent advances in wearable sensors, inertial measurement units, global navigation satellite systems, instrumented equipment, video analysis, computer vision, physiological telemetry, mobile metabolic assessment, modelling, machine learning and integrated data platforms are enabling more precise and representative performance assessment. However, important methodological questions remain regarding validity, reliability, calibration, synchronization, measurement uncertainty, athlete burden, data interpretation, privacy and the translation of complex datasets into practical decisions. These challenges are particularly relevant to emerging disciplines and formats, including coastal and beach sprint rowing, open-water and marathon swimming, ocean racing, stand-up paddling, surfski, surf lifesaving and other events affected by waves, wind, currents, tides, water temperature, transitions and tactical uncertainty.This Research Topic aims to advance technology-supported assessment of biomechanical, physiological and perceptual performance in aquatic sports across controlled, field-based and competition environments. It will bring together researchers, practitioners, engineers, coaches and technology developers to examine how measurement systems can generate valid, actionable and context-sensitive knowledge. Contributions addressing established and emerging aquatic disciplines are welcome, with particular emphasis on ecological validity, methodological transparency, integrated monitoring and the translation of performance data into training, equipment, safety and competition decisions.This Research Topic focuses on the development, validation and application of technologies for assessing performance in aquatic sports. It includes elite, sub-elite, developmental, masters, para and recreational athletes studied in laboratories, pools, flumes, rowing tanks, ergometers, flat-water venues, rivers, coastal and ocean environments, and competition settings. Sex- and gender-specific analyses, youth development, athlete classification, inclusion and equipment adaptation are welcome when directly connected to performance assessment.The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following themes:- Biomechanics and hydrodynamics: kinematics, kinetics, propulsion, drag, efficiency, coordination, force–time profiles, stroke mechanics, starts, turns, transitions and athlete–equipment interactions.- Physiology and bioenergetics: aerobic and anaerobic demands, oxygen-uptake kinetics, lactate responses, muscle oxygenation, thermoregulation, neuromuscular fatigue, economy and recovery.- Wearable and field-based technologies: inertial measurement units, GNSS/GPS, power meters, strain gauges, pressure sensors, instrumented boats, paddles, oars, blocks and boards, physiological telemetry and mobile assessment systems.- Imaging, modelling and analytics: video analysis, computer vision, markerless motion capture, computational fluid dynamics, musculoskeletal modelling, signal processing, machine learning, digital twins and multimodal data fusion.- Performance monitoring and training decisions: internal and external load, readiness, pacing, fatigue, recovery, field testing, longitudinal profiling, feedback systems and coach-facing decision support.- Environmental and ecological constraints: the effects of waves, wind, currents, tides, water temperature, visibility, course design, transitions and environmental uncertainty on technique, physiology and tactical behaviour.- Equipment and instrumentation: design, calibration, validation, usability and performance implications of boats, paddles, oars, swimsuits, wetsuits, boards, ergometers and sensor systems.- Safety, injury and athlete development: performance-related injury risk, fatigue-related technique changes, water-rescue demands, safe monitoring protocols, developmental pathways and para-athlete assessment.Emerging and established aquatic disciplines: Olympic and indoor rowing where relevant to on-water performance; coastal and beach sprint rowing; pool, open-water, marathon, para and cold-water swimming; finswimming; sprint, slalom, marathon and ocean canoe–kayak; canoe polo; paracanoe; white-water disciplines; stand-up paddling; surfski; prone paddling; surf lifesaving craft; dragon boat; water polo; surfing; triathlon swimming segments; lifesaving and rescue sport; and other relevant hybrid or nautical events.Submissions should make a clear contribution to aquatic-sport performance assessment. Purely descriptive epidemiology, general health-promotion studies, rehabilitation research without a performance link, or technology papers lacking aquatic-sport validation or application are generally outside the scope. Engineering studies are appropriate when the device, algorithm or model is evaluated against a meaningful aquatic-performance question. Studies should transparently report relevant information on devices, firmware or software, sampling rates, calibration, synchronization, measurement uncertainty, validity, reliability, sensitivity, missing data, environmental conditions and ethical management of athlete data.Accepted article types:- Original research using experimental, observational, longitudinal, modelling or mixed-method designs.- Validation and reliability studies of aquatic-sport measurement technologies and field protocols.- Systematic, scoping and methodological reviews addressing clearly defined performance-assessment questions.- Methods papers and study protocols.- Technical reports evaluating devices, algorithms, instrumentation or integrated monitoring systems.- Brief research reports and case studies involving rare elite populations or novel emerging disciplines, provided that the methods and contribution are clearly described.- Perspective and conceptual articles addressing research standards, interoperability, data integration, responsible artificial intelligence or the translation of technology-supported assessment into aquatic-sport practice. Topic editors: Ricardo Cardoso, Alfonso Penichet-Tomas Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85297/technology-supported-biomechanical-and-physiological-assessment-of-performance-in-aquatic-sports