This week we had the honor to interview again a group of sports performance experts.

Dr Marco Nunez, the former head athletic trainer of the LA Lakers (NBA).
Alexi Pianosi, the head S&C coach of the Colorado avalanche (NHL).
Adam Quigley, an experienced athletic trainer in the MLS (LA Galaxy), NFL (The Saints) & US Soccer national teams.

You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Marco, Alexi and Adam located at the top of this blog post.

Here are some of the best quotes of our conversation with them:

Q1. How can technology help bridge the gap between research and practical application in elite sports?

Alexi Pianosi:

"The real challenge is integrating research into a professional sports environment where the primary goal is winning games and championships. Research focuses on scientific rigor, but in elite sports, the priority is keeping athletes performing at their best on tight schedules. The art lies in taking lab-based research and finding practical ways to apply it effectively to players."

Dr Marco Nunez:

"Even evidence-based research comes with limitations. The challenge is not just collecting data from wearables and analysis tools but figuring out how to apply it practically. Human factors, like individual variability and logistical constraints, often throw a wrench into research applications."

Adam Quigley:

"What works in a controlled research setting may not fit into the dynamic environment of professional sports. You can't always follow an exact protocol when you’re playing four games in a week. The key is modifying evidence-based practices to suit real-world conditions."

Q2. How has the role of performance technology evolved in recent years within your respective leagues?

Dr Marco Nunez:

"Initially, heart rate monitors and GPS tracking were luxuries for top-tier teams. Over time, these technologies became more accessible, but new advancements like wearables for hydration and lactate monitoring emerged. The challenge now is not just integrating new technologies but mastering the tools we already have before moving on to the next shiny object."

Alexi Pianosi:

"Performance technology is evolving rapidly, but the key is focusing on the specific problems you want to solve. Teams often rush to adopt new gadgets without fully understanding how they address their athletes' needs, leading to wasted resources and unrealized potential."

Adam Quigley:

"Standards for female athletes are just beginning to emerge, especially in leagues like the NWSL. We’ve had decades of data for male athletes, but now we’re finally using technology to develop best practices for women’s sports, which is an exciting step forward."

Q3. How do you see the role of data scientists and analysts evolving within sports organizations?

Alexi Pianosi:

"The sheer amount of data we collect from wearables and analytics tools is overwhelming. The role of data scientists is to find the key metrics that truly matter while ignoring the noise. It’s about striking a balance between having enough resources and overloading teams with too much data to analyze effectively."

Adam Quigley:

"I love working with data scientists because they bring a unique perspective that complements performance and healthcare practitioners. Their ability to find trends and provide actionable insights is invaluable, but we need to ask clear and intentional questions to make their work meaningful."

Dr Marco Nunez:

"While algorithms are making data analysis easier, there’s still a need for human expertise to interpret the results. AI can assist, but data scientists are critical for contextualizing insights and integrating them into the overall performance strategy."

Q4. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted that AI models one million times more powerful than ChatGPT could be developed within the next 10 years. What are your thoughts on that? How could this impact the world of elite sports?

Alexi Pianosi:

"When someone says ‘a million times stronger,’ I think of science fiction movies like I, Robot. It’s exciting but also terrifying. AI is obviously the future, but there will always need to be a human element to oversee and contextualize the results."

Adam Quigley:

"AI might help identify trends or abnormalities in data faster than humans, but the challenge will be maintaining trust and ensuring transparency in how these tools are used. The human element will remain vital for interpreting results and making strategic decisions."

Dr Marco Nunez:

"AI will create new jobs and roles, like overseeing its output for quality and accuracy. We’re not at the point where it can fully replace human expertise, but it’s a great tool for enhancing efficiency and uncovering insights we might otherwise miss."

Q5. How does the use of technology like VAR (Video Assistant Referee) or Hawk-Eye impact the nature of the game? Does it make sports more accurate or strip them of their human essence?

Alexi Pianosi:

"I like the balance we have right now—a mix of human refereeing with tech like video reviews for those rare, close calls. It ensures fairness without taking away the emotional essence of sports. Humans are right 98% of the time, but that 2% can make all the difference."

"For me, the best systems are those that supplement human judgment rather than replacing it. For example, in hockey, goaltender interference reviews provide clarity on gray areas while preserving the integrity of the game."

Dr Marco Nunez:

"Technology like VAR makes the game more accurate, but it can feel robotic at times. Referees are human, and mistakes are part of the game. It’s a fine line between improving fairness and losing the human touch that makes sports special."

Adam Quigley:

"I like the current balance between human referees and technology. Referees are right 98% of the time, but video assist replay is great for those rare, critical moments, like whether a ball crossed the goal line. It’s a nice blend—using video sparingly to correct that remaining 2% while keeping the human element intact."

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