On April 21, Universidad Europea held a session entitled “Design, use and ethics of sports apps”, which was part of the “Sports Observatory Seminars. New Technologies applied to sport”, to mark the Sports Month. During the session, the speakers insisted on the need for the design of these apps -an expanding market- to be reliable in order to guarantee public safety.
The speakers consider that viewing these apps as a business where anything goes is a mistake that can put peoples’ health at risk. Therefore, it is key for the safety of those who use them that their design is always verified, that it is reliable and backed by a reliability and validity study.
Thus, a graduate or bachelor in Sports Science must always be present during the design and subsequent development, as well as the monitoring of these apps in order to adapt the training load to the changing reality of users; ensuring that the applicability of these tools is not corrupted or continuously outdated.
If the apps are used reasonably, regularly revised, continuously supervised and legally registered, they can generate loyalty and help society understand the importance of physical activity for everyday wellness. Otherwise, if they are seen as a global list of exercises for everyone, with no individual program and based on a weekly publication, they will become a health problem that will put the people who use them with no control at risk.
In short, sports apps are an expanding market in which Sports Science bachelors and graduates have a lot to contribute and that generate entrepreneurial opportunities.