Maarten Gijssel, Managing Partner at IDRO: “Athletes can now receive instantaneous feedback on their lactate levels during training and competition”

Here’s a surprising statistic: at the Paris 2024 Olympics, only 17 world records tumbled. According to Statista.com, that’s the lowest number so far this century, with a steady decline from Beijing 2008 when 30 records were broken. We think that trend will stop in 2028, and in part it’s due to sports tech entrepreneurs such as Maarten Gijssel, Managing Partner at IDRO.

Why are we so confident? Because we are about to hit a golden patch of sports performance monitoring using a mix of sensors, AI and data analysis. In IRDO’s case, that’s down to its Continuous Lactate Sensing product. Maarten goes into detail below, but in short it will give athletes and their coaching team non-invasive insights into their lactate levels. It means they can not only train harder but more cleverly – and understand their bodies better.

And it’s not just in endurance sports such as marathon running. “Interestingly, team sports are beginning to recognise the value of lactate monitoring,” Maarten told us. “These sports require repeated high-intensity efforts, and understanding lactate dynamics can help in optimising performance, managing fatigue and preventing injuries.”

As we all know, that could be the difference between winning a match in the final ten minutes and losing it.

So who is Maarten Gijssel? More like who isn’t he: sports physio, lecturer, clinical health scientist, legal adviser and serial entrepreneur, the one consistent thread throughout his varied career is is commitment to health and sports. Based in Amsterdam, he’s known for his work in sports technology and health data analysis through the Kinetic Analysis Group, which he founded in 2012.

Now, as Managing Partner at IDRO, he has one aim: to disrupt the sports tech market with continuous lactate monitoring.

Related reading: Sofus Rasmussen, acting Secretary General at the Norwegian Association of University Sports: “You must morally justify flying in athletes, officials and spectators from all over the world, just for a few days of competition”

Tell us your elevator pitch

IDRO Continuous Lactate Sensing represents a breakthrough in sports performance and health monitoring. Our solution features an electronic reader seamlessly integrated into a chest strap, similar in size to a standard heart rate tracker, paired with a compact cartridge for real-time lactate sensing. This innovative system has been meticulously tested and validated with top-tier athletes, including Olympic competitors, professional soccer players and the Belgium army, ensuring reliability and precision in diverse operational environments.

Our technology offers athletes and coaches unparalleled insights into metabolic processes during training and competition. By continuously monitoring lactate levels, IDRO enables informed decisions to optimise performance, prevent overtraining and tailor recovery strategies precisely. The ease of use and real-time data feedback empowers users to adjust intensity levels dynamically, fostering peak athletic performance and minimising injury risks.

Beyond sports, IDRO’s application extends to medical and military settings, where accurate lactate monitoring is critical for assessing physiological stress and optimising operational readiness. Join us in transforming how lactate data enhances performance and health outcomes across various domains, setting new standards in personalised monitoring and management solutions.

What sports does your tech apply to? And have you been surprised by its use?

Our continuous lactate monitoring solution primarily applies to endurance sports such as long-distance running, cycling and swimming. These athletes can significantly benefit from real-time lactate data to optimise their training regimes and enhance performance. However, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the interest and potential applications in team sports, such as soccer and basketball where lactate sensing has not traditionally been utilised.

In endurance sports, lactate levels are a critical indicator of an athlete’s metabolic state, providing insights into their aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. This data helps athletes and coaches tailor training sessions to improve efficiency and prevent overtraining.

Interestingly, team sports are beginning to recognise the value of lactate monitoring. These sports require repeated high-intensity efforts, and understanding lactate dynamics can help in optimising performance, managing fatigue and preventing injuries. For example, in soccer, continuous lactate monitoring can assist in determining optimal recovery times and personalising training loads for players, ensuring peak performance during matches.

The broader application of our technology beyond traditional endurance sports opens up exciting possibilities for improving athletic performance and health across various disciplines, making sports more data-driven and personalised than ever before.

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Can you give an example of a complex problem in sports that you – or your company – have been involved in tackling with technology?

One complex problem in sports that we have tackled with technology is the continuous monitoring of lactate levels in athletes. Traditionally, lactate measurements required blood samples, which were invasive, and inconvenient, usually interrupt the sports activity only resulting in discrete measurement moments in time. This method posed challenges for real-time monitoring and hindered athletes’ ability to make immediate adjustments to their training.

Our company, IDRO, developed a non-invasive sweat-based lactate monitoring system, revolutionising how athletes and coaches access and use lactate data. By using wearable sensors, we can continuously monitor lactate levels through sweat, providing real-time data without the need for invasive blood sampling.

This shift from blood-based to sweat-based measurements has had a profound impact on sports performance and training. Athletes can now receive instantaneous feedback on their lactate levels during training and competition, allowing for precise adjustments to their effort and intensity. This real-time data helps in optimising training programs, improving endurance, and preventing overtraining and injuries.

Moreover, the convenience and comfort of sweat-based monitoring have made it accessible for use not only in endurance sports but also in team sports. Coaches can now make informed decisions based on continuous data, enhancing individual and team performance. This technological advancement represents a significant leap in sports science, making monitoring more practical, efficient, and widely applicable.

Thinking of injury prevention and/or recovery, what are some technology and/or science developments you’ve found particularly fascinating?

In regard to injury prevention and recovery, the science behind the use of wearable technology is evident. Sensors that monitor an athlete’s biomechanics or physiology parameters, provide real-time feedback on movement patterns that may predispose them to injury. These wearables can detect deviations from optimal form, allowing for immediate corrective action and can build a truly personalized experience.

Another fascinating advancement is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in the spectrum from injury prediction to performance optimization. By analyzing our unique datasets, resulting in annual lactate reports from our wearable, combined with training logs, and injury records, AI algorithms identify patterns and predict potential injuries before they occur. This proactive approach enables targeted interventions.

A crucial area of focus in injury prevention is understanding and managing internal load versus external load. Internal load refers to the physiological stress experienced by the athlete, while external load is the physical demand placed on the body during training or competition. Technologies that measure heart rate variability, lactate levels, and some biomechanical parameters help gauge internal load, ensuring that training intensity is aligned with the athlete’s capacity to recover and adapt. Balancing these loads is essential to prevent overtraining and optimize recovery.

These advancements are enhancing injury prevention and recovery, paving the way for more personalized and effective approaches to athlete health and top performance.

Related: Anders Tånger, CEO of Photon Sports: “What fascinates us the most is when technology goes unnoticed”

What do you believe is the biggest opportunity in sports tech right now?

The biggest opportunity in sports tech right now lies in truly personalised training schemes and enhanced fan engagement through real-time internal load data. Personalised training schemes, driven by advanced data analytics, wearable technology, and artificial intelligence, transform athlete performance. By collecting and analysing data on physical conditions, performance metrics and recovery patterns, tailored programs can adjust in real-time to optimise training loads, improve performance and reduce injury risk. Non-invasive monitoring technologies, like continuous lactate monitors, provide deeper insights for precise training adjustments.

Fan engagement is also transforming through our technology. Providing fans with real-time internal load data of their favourite athletes enhances the viewing experience. Live metrics such as heart rate and lactate levels resulting from fatigue indicators create an immersive, interactive experience, fostering a deeper connection between athletes and supporters.

Additionally, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) can offer immersive training and viewing experiences, while blockchain and NFTs provide unique ownership of digital sports memorabilia and exclusive content. Advances in personalized nutrition and recovery technologies further optimize athlete performance and health. Together, these innovations offer significant benefits for all stakeholders in the sports tech domain.

When it comes to technology, what are the most common mistakes you see sports organisations make?

When it comes to technology, one of the most common mistakes sports organisations make is neglecting to prioritise their team as the key asset in technology adoption and integration. Organisations often overlook the importance of involving coaches, athletes and staff in the decision-making process and training phases, lacking a user-centric design approach. This can lead to a lack of buy-in, resistance to change and, ultimately, underutilisation of technology’s potential benefits.

Another critical error is insufficiently integrating new technologies with existing systems and workflows. This fragmentation hampers efficiency and limits the organisation’s ability to harness the full power of data analytics and performance insights. Moreover, overlooking the need for ongoing training and support for all stakeholders can result in a gap between technology implementation and effective utilisation.

Furthermore, failing to address data security and privacy concerns poses significant risks. In an era where data breaches are prevalent, safeguarding highly sensitive information is paramount to maintaining trust and compliance with regulations.

To overcome these challenges, sports organisations should prioritise a multidisciplinary approach to technology adoption. Where companies should educate teams and explain the fundamental science behind innovation. This involves actively involving stakeholders from the outset, ensuring seamless adoption and integration with existing operations. By treating their team as the primary asset in technology initiatives, organisations can enhance adoption rates, optimise performance and maintain a competitive edge.

What advice do you have for those wanting to start a career in sports tech, or those wanting to launch a startup in the space?

For those aspiring to enter sports tech or launch a startup in the field, focus on understanding the intersection of sports and technology deeply. Build a science-backed solution. Stay informed about current trends and challenges within the industry. Make sure you stand out with your creativity, by using a strategy that is not suggested by an AI.

Building a strong network is crucial: connect with professionals, seek mentorship and attend relevant events. Emphasise innovation by identifying opportunities where technology can solve real problems in sports performance, fan engagement or management. Stay agile and adaptable to industry shifts, and always prioritise delivering tangible value to athletes, teams or fans.