[Saba Sports News] According to British media, England will equip its players with WHOOP fitness bands to monitor their physical metrics in real time throughout the World Cup, helping the squad cope with high temperatures and long-distance travel. WHOOP is a smart wearable that tracks heart rate variability, resting heart rate and sleep quality around the clock. Rory McIlroy and Cristiano Ronaldo are major investors in the brand; McIlroy wore the device when he claimed his second successive Masters title. Official data shows travel and jet lag can trigger a 12.5% drop in users’ heart rate variability, a 6% decline in sleep efficiency and a sharp 19% fall in sleep continuity, which makes WHOOP an effective tool for tracking athletes’ physical conditions. Using data collected from the gadgets, England’s medical and performance staff can instantly identify players requiring extra recovery assistance and make informed adjustments to training loads, sleep schedules and daily match readiness, instead of relying solely on players’ self-reported feelings.
The editor believes that this is not England’s first adoption of digital technology. Back at Euro 2024, several English players wore Oura rings to monitor physical metrics, with players including Kieran Trippier even drinking pickle juice to ward off muscle cramps.