Researchers Consider Bluetooth Technology as Means of Monitoring Athletes’ Hearts in Real Time
Published at
Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Researchers in Germany were able to used portable electrocardiograms and Bluetooth technology to study how marathon runners’ hearts are stressed during a race.
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, looked at data from 10 runners continuously during a marathon. The data collected via Bluetooth was comparable to that gathered by the EKG attached to the runner. One-hundred percent of heart abnormalities found by the direct EKG were also found via Bluetooth.
Researchers wonder whether the technology could hold implications for real-time monitoring of athletes, perhaps working to prevent sudden cardiac arrest.
The study was small, in that it only looked at 10 runners, and collecting data on thousands of runners at an event like the upcoming New York Marathon could be difficult, requiring hundreds of cardiologists and putting a strain on cell phone towers.
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio