Oliver Statham, Customer Operations Manager at NMES Group: “The integration of sensors into wearable devices has significantly expanded the accessibility and versatility of monitoring solutions”

To Oliver Statham, Customer Operations Manager at NMES Group, it doesn’t matter whether you’re an athlete or an astronaut: you will get benefits from his company’s unique spin on sports tech. You don’t even have to be an elite athlete, just someone who wants to recover from injury more quickly or get the most from every session.

It’s a sexy technology from a company that – sorry, Oliver – does not have a sexy name. NMES stands for Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, and this is the technology that the company’s diPulse platform is based on. We were slightly worried when Oliver told us that it uses a “bidirectional membrane” that harvests “human biodata”, but fortunately it soon became clear that you don’t become part of the Borg.

In fact, the technology sounds brilliant. NMES Group licenses its tech to third parties, such as clothing manufacturers, and it’s targeting a huge number of sectors: health and wellbeing, entertainment, therapeutic and more specialist fields (such as supporting service personnel).

Find out more in the full interview below.

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Tell us your elevator pitch

Imagine a world where your clothing doesn’t just cover you but enhances performance, speeds recovery and offers immersive sensory experiences. Welcome to the future of smart wearables. NMES Group has created the innovative diPulse platform consisting of a proprietary bidirectional membrane which provides Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) technology whilst harvesting human biodata.

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

Our technology has many applications that have surprised athletes and researchers. We can apply diPulse technology largely to any sport since its target objective is to enhance human performance and provide live actionable data. Athletes across motor racing, basketball, ice hockey, football, downhill skiing, rowing and cross-fit – the list is endless – have all used our tech to push their limits and elevate their performance.

By targeting specific muscle groups with precise NMES delivery we can reinforce traditional strength and conditioning training to beyond what’s achievable through conventional training alone and without loading or damaging the joints.

Other uses within sport include a great benefit through recovery, post-training or competition. Using our cool-down, massage and blood flow programs between training sessions can reduce recovery time and prepare the body for the next musculoskeletal challenge sooner than passive rest alone. Normally athletes are restricted to sufficient time between exertion and re-exertion to prevent muscle, tendon and ligament damage, but when circulation is improved to the localised body area, recovery can take place much faster.

Whether diPulse is integrated into professional training sessions or used to re-educate muscle imbalances or abnormal movement outside of training, either way, facilitated muscle activation through NMES has proven to have an enormous impact on performance. Ultimately any competitive sportsperson or in fact any person at all can benefit from this technology especially since the devices are wireless, so working with NMES actively during training or relaxing at home for recovery programs makes it accessible to everyone anywhere.

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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?

The question is really whether you consider astronauts as sports people!

We have been involved in many discussions with human performance experts, commercial spaceflight companies and government spaceflight agencies to solve the multitude of physiological problems faced by astronauts during their time at the International Space Station (ISS) and going further into longer duration spaceflight for moon and planetary exploration. These amazing individuals are trained to peak physical fitness before their mission, many being competitive sports people, and during their time at the ISS are subjected to a hugely accelerated ageing process – muscle atrophy, bone density loss, body fluid imbalances, cardiovascular deconditioning, neurological changes.

All of these factors are primarily influenced by a lack of resisted muscle activity which is almost impossible to achieve in a reduced gravity environment.

On top of this, the spacewalks to maintain the ISS which they all must undertake are the equivalent challenge to a marathon. Add reduced muscle integrity to this and they become quite vulnerable to mission failure and physical damage. diPulse smart wearables delivering NMES that are discrete, non-invasive, and easy to access are the perfect solution for these high-performing individuals to maintain optimal muscle activity and therefore protect vital organs and bone in the process of their important missions.

As a valuable model for high-demanding elite performance, proving our technology in the ultimate physical challenge such as spaceflight is an opportunity, we are keen to work towards.

In the meantime, watch this space (pun intended).

Do you consider esports as part of your remit? If so, why?

Absolutely! Integrating NMES technology into esports has been shown to provide unique benefits that align with our mission to enhance performance and well-being across a multitude of domains.

Firstly, NMES complements esports training by stimulating muscles and helping promote circulation during gaming sessions. This can help prevent muscular atrophy as well as reduce the risk of common issues like wrist strain or back pain. Esports are known to be sedentary, so maintaining physical fitness is crucial for long-term health and performance.

Another important aspect is the recovery side of esports. Intense gaming sessions can lead to muscular and cognitive fatigue as well as repetitive strain injuries amongst esport athletes. diPulse products can speed up post-gaming recovery by alleviating muscle soreness, accelerating tissue repair, and promoting relaxation after long periods of gaming. It also allows athletes to remain at their optimal performance by potentially reducing gaming-related injuries.

NMES has also been shown in the research to enhance cognitive function and mental sharpness by improving focus, reaction time and decision-making abilities during high-pressure situations as the technology stimulates specific reactionary neural pathways. It can help to sustain mental stamina and concentration over long gaming sessions, reducing the onset of fatigue and maintaining optimal performance levels, which are critical to any esport player’s performance.

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

Recent advancements in sensor technology have revolutionized the landscape of sports and fitness, offering unprecedented opportunities for enhancing performance and preventing injuries. Accelerometers and gyroscopes, for instance, are invaluable tools for real-time monitoring of movement patterns, posture, and gait, enabling the delivery of NMES to correct, enhance and augment much-needed physical adaptation. By collecting and analysing data from these sensors, athletes and coaches can identify movement abnormalities and biomechanical inefficiencies, enabling targeted training interventions aimed at injury prevention and performance optimization. diPulse technology is developing an AI platform for the integration of real-time sensory data to provide bespoke muscle stimulation programs for individual benefit.

Furthermore, the integration of sensors into wearable devices has significantly expanded the accessibility and versatility of monitoring solutions. Whether incorporated into ear sensors, sensor patches, or even jewellery, the miniaturization of sensor technology allows athletes to discretely wear these devices during training and competition. This seamless integration enables continuous monitoring of key physiological parameters, empowering athletes to make data-informed decisions in real-time.

The convergence of sensor technology with textile engineering has led to the development of smart wearables with multifunctional capabilities. These innovative textiles can facilitate a wide range of applications, from enhancing lymphatic drainage to implementing blood flow restriction techniques. By embedding sensors directly into garments, athletes can seamlessly integrate monitoring and feedback mechanisms into their training routines, optimizing recovery, performance, and general well-being.

Overall, the synergy of sensor advancements, wearable technology, and smart textiles is revolutionizing the way athletes approach training, recovery, and performance enhancement. As these technologies continue to evolve, they hold the potential to redefine the boundaries of human performance and transform the sports and fitness industry for years to come.

How do you stay up to date on the latest technology developments in sports?

Staying up to date with the most recent technology in sports can be difficult as the industry is moving ahead at a pace that can be challenging to keep up with. But at the same time the resources we have nowadays to gather this information, whether it is from the internet, colleagues or webinars is so vast that new developments are accessible to all. The question is how to filter through the data to pick out the most pertinent new technology.

As a team, we are dedicated to ensuring we are keeping up with the most applicable and advanced research and developments by sharing the task within our own specialist fields.

For example, our CIO will look into technology related to IT, our CTO will look at engineering innovation and so forth. Participating in forums such as specialist summits, conferences, industry exhibitions and trade shows enables us to predict which way the industry is moving.

We are connected to Imperial College, so are involved in research there, in addition to reading broadly in international sports and performance journals. However, access to the internet allows us to follow technology sports news instantaneously and sites such as TechFinitive provide regular technology news as it emerges.

With this in mind, as a company pioneering technology in human performance and sport, we are always keen to hear industry feedback and prioritise addressing these challenges for the future development of our tech.