Running London Marathon? Ditch the watch! Wearables HINDER performance,
If you’re running the London Marathon this weekend, it’s best to leave your smartwatch at home.
That’s according to a new study, which has warned that wearables can actually hinder athletic performance.
Researchers from Aalto University investigated how ultra–runners learn to tune into their bodies.
Their results revealed that smartwatches can distract athletes from how their bodies are actually feeling.
In fact, one runner in the study said their watch was distracting them so much that they abandoned it mid–race.
‘Consumer culture does nearly everything in its power to estrange people from their bodies,’ said Tatsiana Padhaiskaya, co–author of the study.
‘Digitalisation, social media, and the cultural obsession with outward appearances have pushed us away from sensing what is actually going on with our bodies.
‘Businesses “sell” the cure to this, which actually makes things worse.’
From Apple Watches to Garmins, athletes now have a range of smartwatches available to them.
However, until now, the impact of wearing a smartwatch during a long race has remained unclear.
To get to the bottom of it, the researchers interviewed ultra–runners about their experiences with wearables.
The results revealed a common theme: many participants felt that devices limited their ability to tune into their body.
‘This is because the advice given to them, especially in the early stages, are based on standard rules and not always tailored to each individual,’ the researchers explained.
‘This standardisation can lead to wrong pacing and overtraining.’
As well as giving you generic advice, the researchers warn that swartwatches can lead to ‘sensory overload’.
Things like notifications about pace, feedback, and reminders to move can be distracting, according to the team.
By ditching their smartwatches, runners are able to learn to turn their attention inwards.
Athletes interviewed in the study said they suddently noticed subtle signals like a ‘little niggle’ in the knee, allowing them to anticipate problems before they occurred.
Writing in their study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, the researchers said: ‘Self–tracking devices can help build body awareness, especially in the early stages of the process.
‘However, our findings also emphasize that gains in body awareness usually led to their marginalization as consumers started trusting their sensory knowledge.’
