Method, system and computer program product for performance monitoring and planning

• US 7,691,069 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joshua Adams
• Original Assignee: Joshua Adams
• Inventors: Adams, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Evanisko; George R
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLMES, REX R
• Application Number:
  US11/508,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20070197920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 600508-509
• US Class Current: 600/508
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0078 Exercise efforts programmed as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0235 driven by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/73 Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/062 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/067 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A method for predicting athletic performance for a subject, the method comprising: obtaining first heart rate data for varying speed, constant incline running; obtaining second heart rate data for varying incline, constant speed running; determining a first power per change in speed at the constant incline; determining a second power per change in incline at the constant speed incline; predicting athletic performance in response to the first power and the second power.

Claims

1. A method for predicting athletic performance for a subject, the method comprising:

obtaining first heart rate data for varying speed, constant incline running, the first heart rate data obtained from a heart rate monitor;

obtaining second heart rate data for varying incline, constant speed running, the first second heart rate data obtained from the heart rate monitor;

determining a power per change in speed at the constant incline;

determining a power per change in incline at the constant speed incline;

predicting athletic performance in response to the power per change in speed and the power per change in incline.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the power per change in incline includes computing:

P/dV_y=G*Mr*0.3238e−

3

where P is power, V_y is rate of change in altitude, G is gravitational acceleration and Mr is mass of subject.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining a power per change in speed includes computing:

power per change in heart rates as;

P/dHR=(P/dV_y)/(dHR/dV_y)

where dHR/dV_y is determined from the second heart rate data for varying incline,

where HR is heart rate.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining a power per change in speed includes computing:

P/dVx=(dHR/dVx)*(P/dHR)

where dHR/dVx is determined from the first heart rate data for varying speed, where Vx is flat ground running speed.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining athletic efficiency for the subject, the predicting athletic performance being in response to the athletic efficiency.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the athletic efficiency is aerobic efficiency computed as:

Effa=((Pideal/dVdotO2)/((dHR/dVdotO2))/(Papplied/dHR)

where (Pideal/dVdotO2) is aerobic power per rate of oxygen consumed a constant for human aerobic power conversion;

(Δ

HR/dVdotO2) is measured for the subject; and

(Papplied/dHR) is measured for the subject as applied power used to change elevation,

where P is power, VdotO2 is rate of volumetric consumption of oxygen and HR is heart rate.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the athletic efficiency is stride efficiency computed as:

Effs=1−

((P/dVx)/(P/dVy))

where (P/dVx) is power to run on flat ground and (P/dVy) is power to run in a vertical direction,

where P is power, Vx is flat ground running speed and Vy is rate of change in altitude.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

predicting athletic performance includes receiving a desired heart rate from the subject and a desired course;

and computing a speed at which the subject runs the course to maintain the desired heart rate.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the speed is computed for multiple sections of the course.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the speed is calculated as

(Vx(i+1))=(HR_in(i+1)−

HR_rest)/(P/dV_y)−

((P/dV_y)/(P/dV_x))*(Alt(i+1)−

Alt(i))/(Dist(i+1)−

Dist(i))

wherein Vx is flat ground running speed, HR is heart rate, P is power, V_y rate of change in altitude, Alt is altitude and Dist is distance.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein predicting athletic performance in response to the power per change in speed and the power per change in incline includes predicting athletic performance for multiple courses.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for a second subject;

obtaining first heart rate data for varying speed, constant incline running;

obtaining second heart rate data for varying incline, constant speed running;

determining a second power per change in speed at the constant incline;

determining a second power per change in incline at the constant speed incline;

predicting athletic performance of the second subject in response to the second power per change in speed and the second power per change in incline;

comparing athletic performance of the subject and the second subject.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein predicting athletic performance is performed by a processor executing software is stored on a computer readable medium.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the processor is in a sports wrist watch.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the processor is in a heart rate monitor.