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Penn State tracking sleep, stress levels of players
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Penn State is trying to use any advantage it possibly can this season.
In the spring, several Nittany Lions were gifted WHOOP bands, a fitness band that tracks sleep, stress and fitness. But it doesn’t just monitor the hours a player is sleeping, it tracks the quality of rest each player is getting on a nightly basis.
“We’re able to see, are they getting enough sleep?” James Franklin told 247Sports. “What type of sleep are they getting? Are they getting into REM sleep; deep sleep where they are getting the most value?
Franklin also said he can see what time a player went to bed and whether or not he was “tossing and turning” all night. And if players are struggling to get quality sleep, the WHOOP bands allow Penn State can “study that to help him.”
According to WHOOP’s official website, injuries are reported 60 percent less often for players who wear the band, and reduce a person’s resting heart rate by 4.4 beats per minute after four months.
Measuring sleep isn’t an entirely new concept but it’s not something that every team in the country is doing just yet. Penn State is taking advantage though, and it seems to be paying off so far.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB