Image source: Hexoskin

Hexoskin, FC Barcelona and Allianz team up on sleep study

Hexoskin, FC Barcelona and Allianz team up on sleep study
Hexoskin sleep data | Source: Hexoskin

Hexoskin, FC Barcelona and global insurance company Allianz SE have partnered on a study to assess the effect of sleep on athletic performance.

Essential readingTop fitness trackers and health gadgets

Those of us that have been following wearable technology for a while are well aware of Hexoskin. The Canadian-based startup has a line of smart shirts which are capable of tracking a range of vitals stats.

A small device slips into the shirt pouch to capture data in real time. It then sends it all via Bluetooth to a smartphone app which dishes out various insights.

Hexoskin has been involved in sleep technology since 2012. Its smart garments come with automatic sleep detection, awakening, sleep time, sleep stages, hypnogram, sleep efficiency, sleep percent, sleep position changes, time spent in every position (belly, back, right, left and standing), sleep position graph, heart rate, breathing rate, minute ventilation and heart rate variability. An impressive list indeed!

It’s no surprise Hexoskin products are used by a number of space agencies, military organisations and professional sports teams around the world. Barcelona is now adding its name to this list along with its long-term partner Allianz.

As part of the Barça Innovation Hub, the six month long study will follow sleep habits of FC Barcelona players from different sections of the club. The objective is to determine the effects of sleep on performance and health. Qualitative sleep data will be collected on 600 athletes with a more detailed study on 50 of these.

Essential reading: Ten gadgets for advanced sleep monitoring

The information from the Barcelona/Hexoskin/Allianz study will be analysed by the Adsalutem Institute. This is a Catalan entity specialised in sleep medicine. Results will then be made publicly available.

“For Barça Innovation Hub it is a great step forward to launch this project with Allianz Group, a world-renowned strategic partner which is a perfect fit for us,” said Josep Maria Bartomeu, President of FC Barcelona.

“Sleep and good rest are essential to guarantee the well-being and good performance of our athletes. In addition, Adsalutem Institute will also collaborate in this project, and our aim is to transcend the sports field and give more insights for the general public. This initiative embodies Barça Innovation Hub’s vision, being “more than a Club” in global research projects. “

We all know sleep is important. It plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. At night your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.

But better sleep starts by knowing what’s happening at night. The good news is that, in addition to Hexoskin products, there is a range of wearables to choose from for those interested in learning more about their kip time.

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Ivan Jovin

Ivan has been a tech journalist for over 7 years now, covering all kinds of technology issues. He is the guy who gets to dive deep into the latest wearable tech news.

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