Manchester United installed them as part of a £50million upgrade last year, but they are making a difference beyond the Premier League. In Spain, a number of clubs in La Liga, including Barcelona, Villarreal and Athletic Club, are on board, while Monaco in France have recently upgraded their training facilities with the new addition.
Other sports are also beginning to recognise their potential benefits, with cyclists taking an interest, and clubs across the NFL and NBA adopting them, too. [...] Research published in the European Journal of Sport Science in 2020 pulled together data from 24 studies to report interesting findings based on USG. This showed how 66.2 per cent of professional players assessed were either hypohydrated or dehydrated, and therefore at risk of underperforming. [...] Advertisement
The instant feedback helps players become more engaged with the data and the staff who are crunching the numbers. At a time when every per cent counts in professional sport, the extra assistance and speed are playing a key role in preparation.