In today’s world of professional sports, there is a growing focus on data tracking, whether it be in the strength room, on court or field, or rehab and recovery metrics. Athletes and teams meticulously track things like game-time efficiency and sleep patterns in an effort to optimize performance. However, when it comes to general medical care and personal health, many athletes continue to rely on traditional medicine, like follow up appointments and team physicals. While there’s a growing trend towards preventive medicine, many medical appointments are still addressing a specific issue, like injury. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is stepping into the rapidly evolving world of digital health, biometric tracking, and preventative care through its newly announced partnership with Function Health, a health management platform that provides in-depth biomarker analysis.

This move aligns with the growing trend of leveraging technology to track and optimize personal health, moving beyond what’s necessary to monitor for on-court purposes. There is a clear movement with professional athletes, as well as the general population, in using wearables, apps, and AI-driven health analytics, allowing them to take ownership over their own healthcare to monitor things like heart rate variability to glucose levels in real time. While wearables provide valuable real-time data, it only touches the surface of what may really be going on. Function Co-Founder Jonathan Swerdlin describes, “A player could see a dip in HRV or sleep quality, but without biomarker testing, they’re guessing at the cause. Is it a hormonal imbalance? A nutrient deficiency? Chronic inflammation? Function reveals what’s happening at the biochemical level so they can truly own their health.”

This is a needed shift in professional sports towards more personalized and data-driven health management, as pressures to perform at their best can put them at risk sometimes. Through this partnership, Function Health will provide NBPA members with access to over 100 advanced lab test, which is significantly more than players receive in their standard medical panels through their teams. What’s being tested? Key biomarkers related to heart health, inflammation, hormone levels, metabolic function, and toxin exposure. The NBPA is working hard to ensure players have the opportunities to take control of their own health by identifying potential risk factors early and making data-driven adjustments to their health plan.

Data Ownership

Data privacy is a significant concern for most when considering utilizing healthcare technology. As NBPA Chief Player Experience Officer Matteo Zuretti explains, the initiative is completely voluntary and those players that do enroll with Function, maintain full control over their own health information. “Health and data are very private, and individuals should have maximum control over it,” Zuretti explained. “We want to offer players best-in-class resources they can use to optimize their performance and conduct a healthy life.”

This signifies a larger movement in healthcare, which is the shift toward patient-owned health data. Platforms like Function Health aim to put the power back into the hands of their users, which is incredibly relevant for professional athletes, whose careers can be disrupted if certain health information were to be shared.

Bridging the Gaps in Athlete Healthcare

Many professional athletes face significant healthcare gaps. Consider the athletes that are continuously being traded and moved around to different teams—their healthcare can become fragmented. Chronic injuries and metabolic injuries may also be overlooked in favor of short-term performance optimization. Function Health Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Mark Hyman, M.D., believes that more comprehensive testing can dramatically impact players who are aiming to extend their careers as well as their quality of life after their sport. “Athletes are often pushing their bodies to the limit, but many subtle health factors—like inflammation, hormone imbalances, and metabolic dysfunction—can impact their performance and longevity,” Hyman said. “By giving them access to this data, we’re enabling them to make informed decisions about their health in ways that traditional medicine often misses.”

This partnership emphasizes the NBPA’s efforts to remain player-centered, empowering athletes to prioritize their health beyond their years on the court. The union has been expanding the resources made available to players to ensure players transition smoothly at every life transition. “With Function, we’ve identified a partner that will give players insights that they can share with their team or their own personal teams and how they can maximize their performance and conduct a healthy life,” Zuretti explains.

The Future of Athlete Health Tech

The NBPA’s partnership with Function Health indicates a shift towards both a proactive and personalized approach to athlete well-being. As sports organizations and players associations recognize the value of data-driven healthcare and role it plays in performance optimization, the next wave could be implementing mental health and performance tracking, allowing athletes to track metrics to manage both their physical and mental well-being with precision. Having access to personalized health data is a necessity in professional sports where longevity and peak performance are paramount.