Applications of Wearable Sweat Biosensors in Sports Activities with Real-World Cases

Sports teams are constantly seeking advanced technologies to gain a competitive edge by enhancing athletic performance, accelerating recovery, and minimizing injury risk. Sweat serves as a readily accessible biofluid which enables non-invasive measurement of key biochemical analytes and physiological parameters during sports activities, providing valuable insights into an athlete’s fatigue status, hydration levels, energy expenditure, and muscle function. With ongoing advancements in wearable sweat sensors, particularly those powered by artificial intelligence (AI), these devices facilitate dynamic adjustments to training intensity, optimized fatigue management, personalized recovery strategies, and overall performance enhancement, which are especially valuable for athletes and sports teams. In this paper, we present a structured narrative overview of sweat-based wearable biosensor technologies, highlighting target analytes of interest, advanced materials, innovative designs, AI integration for data interpretation, and applications of commercial products in sports scenarios. Furthermore, we highlight challenges like sweat composition variability, calibration issues, and limitations in sensor materials. We also explore opportunities for future development, such as enhancing sensor performance with hybrid materials, expanding multimodal biosensors, and refining AI systems for personalized performance optimization.