A SWOT Analysis of the Use and Potential Misuse of Implantable Monitoring Devices by Athletes

We have been following the developments and popularity of commercially available wearable sensor technology, as well as the ongoing discussion concerning its usefulness for improving the fitness and health of athletes (Düking et al., 2016, 2017; Sperlich and Holmberg, 2017) with considerable interest. Here, we would like to draw attention to a new generation of implantable devices (implantables) currently being promoted as “the next wave of sensor-based smart devices” (Khosravi, 2015) and predicted to be “a big thing in three years” (Mercer, 2016). We perform a SWOT analysis regarding their use, especially by athletes and in sports, with the goal of identifying internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. The primary SWOT matrix employed is illustrated in Figure 1.