Polar Named Official Heart Rate Technology Supplier of U.S. Soccer Federation

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Polar, the leader in heart rate monitoring and fitness assessment technologies, announced today that it will be the "Official Heart Rate Technology Supplier" for U.S. Soccer through 2013. 

As U.S. Soccer prepares for a year packed with major national and international events, including the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, heart rate technology devices from Polar will be used to help these nine National Teams gain a competitive training edge:

• Men's National Team
• Women's National Team
• Men's Under-23 Team
• Women's Under-23 Team
• Men's Under-20 Team
• Women's Under-20 Team
• Men's Under-17 Team
• Women's Under-17 Team
• U.S. National Paralympics Soccer Team

The teams will mainly use the Polar Team2 Pro set, which helps coaches and trainers gain unique insight into each athlete's fitness level. Using heart rate-based training sessions can monitor athletes' intensity at all times, optimize their fitness levels, and help prevent overtraining and injuries. By taking into consideration each individual's training load (the cumulative effect of recent training sessions), coaches and trainers can develop personalized practice regimens. From the real-time heart rate data retrieved, coaches can assess how much energy players expended, how hard their bodies were impacted and how much recovery time they will need to maximize performance on game day and throughout the season. The data collected is incredibly accurate and personalized based on each player's age, height, weight and fitness level.

"The U.S. Soccer Federation recognizes the technological edge heart rate training provides," said Ivan Pierra, Head Trainer for the Men's National Team.  "This partnership with Polar ensures that each team is equipped with the most cutting edge technology to help us achieve our goals, while keeping our coaches and trainers informed and our players performing at their maximum potential."

Players wear heart rate transmitters during training sessions and their heart rate information is transmitted wirelessly to a base station that can be viewed from the sidelines on a PC. This information is often used to guide the workouts and is automatically downloaded to the base station so that the data can also be reviewed later. With this information, U.S. Soccer trainers can ensure that each National Team player is game ready.

"We are confident that the Polar technology and the Team2 Pro system will help us achieve higher levels of performance through detailed planning, measurement and analysis," said Pierra. "The system will also allow us to adequately gauge recovery time to ensure players are in peak shape for games and remain strong throughout the year, as well as help decrease the potential for injuries and avoid over-fatigue."

For more information on Polar and its team offerings, please visit http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/b2b_products/team_sports.

About Polar
Headquartered in Lake Success, NY, Polar USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Finland-based Polar Electro OY, which invented the first wireless heart rate monitor (HRM) in 1977. Polar now operates internationally in more than 80 countries and its products are sold through 35,000 retailers globally. Polar heart rate and fitness assessment technology delivers unparalleled insight into the human body from valuable training guidance and feedback, to enabling individuals to improve their fitness level and sports performance. Polar technology is key to the success of leading fitness facilities, athletic teams, corporate wellness facilities, health insurance providers and thousands of physical education programs around the world. Today, Polar training computers are the number one choice among consumers worldwide. For more information, visit www.polarusa.com.

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SOURCE Polar