Validity of the Polar Team Pro Sensor for measuring speed and distance indoors

Objectives: To assess the validity of the Polar Team Pro Sensor for measuring speed and distance indoors during continuous locomotive and change-of-direction tasks at low, medium, and high intensities.

Design: Descriptive validation study.

Methods: 26 recreationally-active participants (age: 32.2 ± 11.0 yr; stature: 173.3 ± 9.9 cm; body mass: 74.2 ± 16.2 kg) completed three trials of low- (walking speed), medium- (jogging speed), and high-intensity (maximal sprinting speed) continuous locomotive and change-of-direction tasks. Participants wore back- and chest-mounted sensors to determine mean speed and total distance covered. One-way analysis of variance, t-tests, Pearson's Product moment correlation, and Bland-Altman plots were utilised to compare the speed and distance measured with the back- and chest-mounted sensors to reference measures (measured distance of the court via a trundle wheel and speed derived from measured distance and electronic timing lights).

Results: Speed and distance measured using the back- and chest-mounted sensors showed wide limits of agreement, which increased at high intensities for speed. The sensors typically underestimated speed and distance by as much as 2.76 km h^-1 and 32.6 m, and overestimated speed and distance by as much as 4.52 km h^-1 and 59.6 m across tasks and intensities compared to reference measures (168.45 and 40.00 m).

Conclusions: There was low agreement between both back- and chest-mounted sensors and the reference devices for measuring speed and distance indoors. Practitioners should understand the limitations and potential for error when using the Polar Team Pro Sensors indoors to measure speed and distance during continuous locomotive and change-of-direction tasks.