INTRODUCTION: Athlete monitoring aims to maximize performance and prevent illness and injury. In winter sports, it is important for coaches to regularly monitor the training and competition load and the physiological response (i.e., internal load) 1,2, as well as athlete characteristics such as age, fitness, and injury history, as these have been identified as risk factors for injury 3,4. Here, we outline general principles of load monitoring and present current strategies and upcoming tools for athlete monitoring in winter sports. METHODS: Established principles of load monitoring are taken from current consensus statements. A literature review in the field of winter sports aims to outline current load monitoring strategies as well as innovative tools for monitoring purposes. RESULTS: The fundamentals of load monitoring, such as the concept of external and internal load, are presented, with a focus on the challenges for their application in winter sports. Innovative tools such as wearable devices, biomarkers or thermal imaging have been recently researched in winter sports. Especially with the development of wearables, tracking data and physiological variables are readily available and offer new opportunities 5. However, none of the presented tools have conclusively demonstrated their value for injury prevention. CONCLUSION: Previous research in winter sports has already revealed the importance of load monitoring. Future studies will need to demonstrate the effectiveness of novel technologies such as wearables in maximizing performance and preventing injury. Unlike other sports, there are no established guidelines for athlete monitoring in winter sports.
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