Gettysburg College student-athletes took their training techniques to a new level this past season by utilizing specialized technology to enhance not only physical well-being, but also mental health to produce improved results on the field and in the classroom.
 
For years, Director of Athletic Medicine and Sports Performance Mike Cantele '88 has sought new and innovative ways to improve the performance of student-athletes. Apart from the physical demands of competition, Cantele has noted a serious strain mentally as student-athletes seek to balance so many variables in their lives. Loss of sleep often coincides with this dilemma, leading to poor performance in the classroom and a lack of success on the field.
 
"Studies have shown that there is a direct link between lack of sleep and behavioral health concerns such as anxiety, depression, and binge drinking," said Cantele. "We know athletes will do anything to get an advantage in their sport and that wearable technology is part of everyday life, so how could we combine the two to meet our goals?"
 
The answer came in the form of a wearable band produced by WHOOP, a Boston-based fitness and performance company. WHOOP does more than just track heart rate or steps; its algorithm enables the wearer see numbers based on recovery and strain. This in turn can help an individual figure out how far his or her body can be pushed on a particular day.
 
Naturally, the student-athletes at Gettysburg were a bit skeptical at first. They train nearly every day and feel more or less at peak performance when the situation demands it. However, once they started seeing the data from wearing the bands, they quickly realized the impact of stress and loss of sleep was having on their bodies.
 
"I had never owned any athletic watch or performance tracker before the WHOOP," said senior women's lacrosse player Maria Nemeth (Westfield, N.J./Westfield). "I was nervous to have my athletic trainer and coaches tracking so many things like my sleep and recovery. I thought maybe it would hurt my playing time. It didn't. It really just helped the coaching staff and trainers become aware of what our bodies could endure that day."
 
 
The numbers started to roll in as the student-athletes engaged in activities on campus, both of an athletic nature and those taking place in classrooms and dorms. In short order, it became obvious that some days, the athletes were overextending themselves and that impacted their abilities everywhere. On other days, they could push a little harder and get more production on the field.
 
Cantele was able to evaluate the data from the student-athletes and work with coaches to develop better training techniques and workout schedules.
 
"We utilized the bands more for individual awareness on how their habits directly impacted their performance," said head men's basketball coach B.J. Dunne. "The bands helped our players become more aware of how sleep, nutrition, and stress can all affect their ability to perform at their highest capacity. There were definitely days where we would focus on pushing players who had a great recovery score and their bodies could handle a high-strain work load."
 
Sleep became a priority for many of the student-athletes. When the athletes walk off the field or the court, they head to classes, labs, study sessions, and group meetings, some of which push well into the night. With the recovery score from the WHOOP bands popping up every morning, the student-athletes started to change their behaviors to produce a higher score.
 
"The recovery score that you get every morning really tells you how well you have taken care of your body and whether you did everything possible to be ready for the next day," noted junior Chris Jack (Reckange-sur-Mess, Luxembourg/The Hun School of Princeton). "In addition, if your recovery score is low, it makes you want to go to bed earlier the following day and focus more on your recovery."
 
"I was able to learn more about the importance of nutrition and sleep," stated Nemeth. "I was also able to see how stress/anxiety play a role in recovery and health. As a student-athlete, I'm constantly taught these lessons, but with the band I could actually see the numbers to prove it. I could see my heart rate change during stressful times. I was able to become more aware, and learn different ways to try and combat it."
 
Recently, WHOOP has demonstrated its technology might be able to predict when someone develops symptoms of COVID-19. Changes in respiratory rate during sleep could indicate a developing issue in the body. The company is still analyzing its data and has stated it should not be used as a testing tool at this time, but it's clear the impact of the current crisis can be documented through a dive into some of the numbers.
 
During the middle of March with the news of businesses and colleges shutting down as a result of the pandemic, the women's lacrosse team was travelling to play Salisbury University. The team won what would be their final contest of the season 12-11 in overtime, but the data from WHOOP showed extraordinary numbers.
 
"We witnessed first-hand the impact that all types of stress can have on the overall day strain of an individual," said head women's lacrosse coach Carol Cantele '83. "As our team was learning the uncertainly regarding our season on the day that we were playing Salisbury, our strain levels across the board had never been higher.  The combination of a physically challenging game and an emotional roller-coaster regarding the fate of our season caused all of the players' numbers to be off the charts."
 
With the spring season cut short, the athletic training staff, coaches, and student-athletes using the WHOOP bands were unable to see the full impact of behavioral changes to their performance on and off the field. The teams turned in their devices before departing campus, but they left knowing they made progress to a more stable and productive form of well-being.
 
"I saw huge benefits in so many athletes after some time wearing a WHOOP," noted Mike Cantele. "All of this adds up to a happier, healthier, and more successful student-athlete."