Device welcomed by mountain biking world champion, Reece Wilson, and leading academic.
With concussion and head injury in sport the subject of increasing focus and research, professional mountain bikers will become the first to use a pioneering device to monitor head impact and its long term repercussions.
Several of the world’s top riders will start the new season with the HIT device, which monitors the G-force of a head impact, attached to their helmets. The technology also measures the smaller cumulative impacts experienced by riders on runs, even when they don’t crash, similar to the effect on a footballer regularly heading a ball over the course of a match.
Developed in Scotland, the unit connects to an app which provides a traffic light warning system. As concussions can be hard and complicated to diagnose, with variable factors influencing concussion severity including bone thickness, hydration, whole body skeletal muscle strength or even past concussions, affecting how people react, the HIT system allows the user to make an informed decision on whether or not to seek medical attention.
The device is also fitted with a GPS tracker and can alert parents if a child has had an accident on their bike or scooter, for example.
Studies have revealed that people who have suffered serious concussions, particularly under the age of 21, are more prone to long term implications, including depression and suicide.
HIT’s developers say it can be used in any “gravity sport” where helmets are worn and a leading academic says data is key in learning how head impact affects brain health.