Apparatus for Metabolic Training Load, Mechanical Stimulus, and Recovery Time Calculation

• US 20110021319A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Kinnunen, Hannu Olavi, Nissila, Juuso Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,370,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• 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 5/222 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: A63B 2024/0065 Evaluating the fitness, e.g. fitness level or fitness index
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/50 temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/70 body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases

Abstract

A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load, includes determining protein combustion information and determining the user'"'"'s training load based on the protein combustion information. The protein combustion information may be determined using heart rate information, activity information, carbohydrate reserve information determined using a carbohydrate combustion model and carbohydrate reserve information representing the user'"'"'s carbohydrate reserves at a beginning of at least one exercise session, fitness information, intensity information, nutritional intake information representing nutritional intake during at least one exercise session, and/or a fat combustion model. The user'"'"'s training load may be determined based on a mechanical stimulus and/or a modality. Recovery time information may be determined based on the training load. A corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium correspond to the above method.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load representing a physical load experienced by the user in response to an exercise, comprising:

computing protein combustion information during the exercise associated with the user in a first computer process, wherein the protein combustion information is computed from measured exercise intensity information and carbohydrate reserve information associated with the user during the exercise; and

determining the user'"'"'s training load based on the computed protein combustion information in a second computer process.

22. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 21, wherein the carbohydrate reserve information is determined using a carbohydrate combustion model and the carbohydrate reserve information, the carbohydrate reserve information representing the user'"'"'s carbohydrate reserve at a beginning of at least one exercise session.

23. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 21, wherein the protein combustion information is determined using nutritional intake information associated with the user, the nutritional intake information representing nutritional intake associated with the user during at least one exercise session.

24. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 21, wherein the protein combustion information is determined by using a total energy expenditure and a fat combustion model.

25. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 21, further comprising determining the user'"'"'s training load based on a mechanical stimulus, the mechanical stimulus representing mechanical stress experienced by the user and being associated with at least one exercise session.

26. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 21, further comprising determining the user'"'"'s training load based on a modality, the modality representing exercise type and being associated with at least one exercise session.

27. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 21, further comprising displaying the training load on a display device.

28. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 21, further comprising determining recovery time required by the user to recover from the exercise, wherein the recovery time is computed from the training load.

29. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 21, wherein the protein combustion information is determined from the exercise intensity information with respect to an aerobic threshold and an anaerobic threshold of the user.

30. A method of determining a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 21, wherein the exercise intensity information is determined from at least one of the following parameters associated with the user and measured during the exercise:

heart rate, activity, running speed, and cycling speed.

31. An apparatus to determine a user'"'"'s training load representing a physical load experienced by the user in response to an exercise, comprising:

a protein combustion determination unit to compute protein combustion information during the exercise associated with the user, wherein the protein combustion information is computed by using measured exercise intensity information and carbohydrate reserve information associated with the user during the exercise; and

a training load determination unit to determine the user'"'"'s training load based on the protein combustion information computed by the protein combustion determination unit.

32. An apparatus to determine a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 31, wherein the carbohydrate reserve determination unit determines the carbohydrate reserve information using a carbohydrate combustion model and the carbohydrate reserve information, the carbohydrate reserve information representing the user'"'"'s carbohydrate reserve at a beginning of at least one exercise session.

33. An apparatus to determine a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 31, wherein the protein combustion determination unit computes the protein combustion information from the exercise intensity information with respect to an aerobic threshold and an anaerobic threshold of the user.

34. An apparatus to determine a user'"'"'s training load defined by claim 31, wherein the measured exercise intensity information comprises at least one of the following parameters associated with the user and measured during the exercise:

heart rate, activity, running speed, and cycling speed.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by:

computing protein combustion information during the exercise associated with the user, wherein the protein combustion information is computed from measured exercise intensity information and carbohydrate reserve information associated with the user during the exercise; and

determining the user'"'"'s training load based on the computed protein combustion information.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium defined by claim 35 comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by determining the carbohydrate reserve information using a carbohydrate combustion model and the carbohydrate reserve information, the carbohydrate reserve information representing the user'"'"'s carbohydrate reserve at a beginning of at least one exercise session.

37. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium defined by claim 35 comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by determining protein combustion information using nutritional intake information associated with the user, the nutritional intake information representing nutritional intake associated with the user during at least one exercise session.

38. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium defined by claim 35 comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by determining the protein combustion information by using a total energy expenditure and a fat combustion model.

39. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium defined by claim 35 comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by determining the user'"'"'s training load based on a mechanical stimulus, the mechanical stimulus representing mechanical stress experienced by the user and being associated with at least one exercise session.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium defined by claim 35 comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by determining the user'"'"'s training load based on a modality, the modality representing exercise type and being associated with at least one exercise session.

41. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium defined by claim 35 comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by displaying the training load on a display device.

42. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium defined by claim 35 comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by determining recovery time required by the user to recover from the exercise, wherein the recovery time is computed from the training load.

43. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium defined by claim 35 comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by determining the protein combustion information from the exercise intensity information with respect to an aerobic threshold and an anaerobic threshold of the user.

44. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium defined by claim 35 comprising encoded instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to determine a user'"'"'s training load by determining the exercise intensity information from at least one of the following parameters associated with the user and measured during the exercise:

heart rate, activity, running speed, and cycling speed.