Method and system for determining the fitness index of a person

• US 10,123,730 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2012
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firstbeat Analytics OY (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Firstbeat Technologies Oy
• Inventors: Saalasti, Sami, Pulkkinen, Aki
• Primary Examiner(s): Alter, Alyssa M
• Application Number:
  US14/110,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20140088444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,406 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0833 Measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/221 Ergometry, e.g. by using bicycle type apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4884 inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/741 using synthesised speech
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for determining the cardiorespiratory fitness level of a person, with the aid of freely performed exercise in which training: •the physiological intensity of the person is measured periodically during the exercise session (5) •the external work output of the exercise session is measured simultaneously relative to the measured intensity (6), •from each period'"'"'s measured intensity value and external work output, the representativeness of the values measured is determined (8.1, 8.2), in order to determine the fitness level using the following criteria: ∘the physiological intensity should be stabilized relative to the external work output, ∘the external work output should be within a selected range, ∘the physiological intensity should be greater than a selected lower limit, in which case, a fitness level estimate is defined (8.3) for each accepted period as well as a fitness from several estimates.

Claims

1. A method for determining the cardiorespiratory fitness level of a person, with the aid of freely performed exercise, comprising:

measuring by a first sensor, a physiological intensity of the person during the exercise session in periods and storing each measured physiological intensity in computation registers, each period being approximately 5 seconds,

measuring by a second sensor an external work output of the exercise session simultaneously relative to the measured physiological intensity on each period, and storing each measured external output in the computation registers,

determining by an assembly built around a central processing unit (CPU), at each period whether the physiological intensity has stabilized relative to the external work output on the measured period in order to accept the period using a following criteria;

the physiological intensity is stabilized relative to the external work output, and

the external work output is within a selected range,

defining by the assembly built around the central processing unit, a fitness level estimate for each accepted period using a modeled function and the stored physiological intensity and the stored measured external output in the computation registers, and storing each defined fitness level estimate as accepted data points; and

,

counting a total duration/number of accepted periods, and

if said total duration/number of accepted periods exceeds a selected time/value,

computing by the assembly built around the central processing unit, a fitness index with the aid of the fitness level estimates in the accepted data, if the total duration/number of accepted periods exceeds a selected time/value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a variable depicting the change in cumulative homeostasis, is calculated continuously by the assembly built around the central processing unit, and the value of the variable depicting homeostasis should be increasing, in order for the period to be accepted.

3. A system for determining the level of the cardiorespiratory fitness level of a person, with the aid of freely performed exercise, comprising:

an interface device containing input devices for entering optional user-specific starting parameters before training, and a feedback device for providing feedback,

a memory register for recording the values of the said parameters and the calculation variables,

first means for measuring and recording a variable proportional to physiological intensity in periods and for storing each measured physiological intensity in the memory register, each period being approximately 5 seconds, and

second means for registering and recording external work output simultaneously relative to the measured physiological intensity on each period, and storing each measured external output in the memory register,

third means for determining whether the physiological intensity has stabilized relative to the external work output on the measured period in order to accept the period,

wherein the third means determines the representativeness of the values of the intensity and external work recorded from simultaneous periods, in order to determine an accepted period in terms of fitness level, where the representative periods are those periods that have the following properties;

the physiological intensity must have stabilized relative to the external work output, the external work output must be within a preselected range, and

the physiological intensity must be greater than a set criterion (x % HRmax), and

wherein the third means defines a fitness-level estimate for each accepted period, using a modelled function and the stored physiological intensity and stored measured external output in the memory register, and for storing each defined fitness level estimate as accepted data and to define a fitness index in the memory register with the aid of the fitness level estimates in the accepted data from the calculated fitness level estimates;

wherein the third means computes a fitness index with the aid of the fitness level estimates in the accepted data.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the third means continuously calculates a variable, depicting the change in cumulative homeostasis, in which case the third means are arranged to accept periods, in which the variable depicting the change in homeostasis is increasing.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the third means determines the user'"'"'s activity class, with the aid of initial data and a defined fitness index, using preselected criteria.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the said preselected criterion for determining the activity class comprises a 3-dimensional table with the following variables:

sex, age, and fitness index.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein the external work output is arranged to be determined on the basis of running speed and slope.

8. The system according to claim 3, wherein the system is arranged to perform updating of the fitness index after each training session.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system is arranged to calculate the fitness index from two or more training sessions and to weight the fitness index of each training session according to how many accepted periods are found from the training session.

10. The system according to claim 3, wherein the system is arranged to calculate the energy consumption during training.

11. The system according to claim 3, wherein the system is arranged to calculate the training effect (TE) caused by the training.

12. The system according to claim 3, wherein the system is arranged to define a training program according to the calculated fitness index.

13. The system according to claim 4, wherein the third means determines the user'"'"'s activity class, with the aid of initial data and a defined fitness index, using preselected criteria.