Heart rate tech pioneer Polar has introduced an entirely new wearable product offering to its growing fitness portfolio – the Polar Team Pro Shirt. The company’s first-ever heart rate monitoring and GPS tracking apparel is ‘fully-designed and developed by Polar, and optimized for athletes’.
Polar Team ProShirt integrates Polar’s proprietary heart rate technology directly onto the fabric, as well as providing GPS technology via a corresponding sensor. Available in March 2017, initially targeting team sports, PolarTeam Pro Shirt allows coaches to gain insight into their players’ effort, speed recovery and other metrics throughout the season.
Polar Team Pro Shirt will be on display at the 2017 International CES expo at the Sands, Las Vegas, on 3 January, Halls A-D, Booth #44317.
“As a company with a deep heritage in team sports and trusted fitness technology, we’re constantly working to evolve design and function in ways that will improve athlete performance,” said Tom Fowler, President of Polar US. “Polar technology and products are, at their core, developed for the needs of professional athletes and coaches. As a result of our continued focus on improvement, we’ve reimagined the chest strap for professional athletes and developed Team Pro Shirt.”
“Monitoring the volume and intensity along with the response to training is crucial to understanding the effects of a training plan,” said Andrew Murray, Director of Performance & Sport Science at the University of Oregon. “Polar’s move to using smart fabrics and integration of the monitor within a garment removes one barrier to use, especially with some of our larger athletes who find the chest strap restrictive.”
Optimized for professional athletes, Polar Team Pro Shirt is a sleeveless, base-layer shirt that replaces the need for a chest strap monitor. The interior of Polar Team Pro Shirt features two thin, unobtrusive heart rate capture points built directly into the fabric, which track heart rate metrics as well as remove the added bulk of a heart rate unit.
Polar Team Pro Shirt captures real-time heart rate data, allowing coaches to gain insight into an athlete’s performance, and adjust training as needed. In addition to heart rate capabilities, a small, lightweight sensor pod fits into a pocket on the back collar and provides motion tracking, providing metrics such as an athlete’s speed, distance and acceleration.
Polar’s evolved wearable shirt technology integrates with the Polar Team Pro system for advanced team sports coaching. Sensors broadcast live training data to a coach’s iPad, providing athlete performance data in real-time. Among an array of NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL and other professional sports teams training with Polar, the Atlanta Falcons (NFL) have been using the Polar Team system since 2010.
“Polar’s system is used every time our players train during structured off-season workouts and practices throughout the year,” said AJ Neibel, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Falcons. “Analysis of the data collected allows us to assess conditioning levels, properly prescribe off-season training volume, establish valid return-to-play conditioning parameters, and effectively monitor workloads during training camp.”
To gain a full understanding of the players’ 24/7 activity off the field, team members can utilize Polar wearables such as the Polar V800, M600, M400, M200 and other Polar connected products with the Polar Flow ecosystem. Here, athletes can not only gain insights into their sleep and activity, but also coaches can gain a well-rounded look at athlete’s health, fitness and recovery needs.
When connected with Polar wearables, Polar Team Pro provides coaches the tools to create personalized training plans that players can upload to a wrist unit and follow during workouts. Players are also able to benefit from various smart coaching insights and recommendations such as training load and recovery needs. The PolarTeam Pro Shirt will be available in March 2017 in light grey. Sizes range from male S –XL with additional sizes available in May.
