METHOD FOR GUIDING A PERSON IN PHYSICAL EXERCISE

• US 20120035021A1
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firstbeat Analytics OY (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Firstbeat Technologies Oy
• Inventors: Saalasti, Sami, Pulkkinen, Aki, Kettunen, Joni, Seppänen, Mikko
• Granted Patent: US 8,465,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• 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 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS

Abstract

A method is disclosed for guiding a person to a physiological cumulative state in physical exercise, in which the exercise has a physiological target in the form of a physiological state at the end of the exercise, a duration, and a performance parameter. At the start of the exercise the physiological target is set, as is the value of the performance parameter, and during the exercise at regular intervals: at least one quantity proportional to the momentary intensity is measured. The present physiological state and an estimate of the physiological state at the end of the exercise are calculated with the aid of momentary intensity and the exercise performed. A guidance range for the momentary intensity is defined, in order to reach the target state and the performance parameter. The user is guided by feedback to remain within the guidance intensity range.

Claims

1. Method for guiding a person to a physiological cumulative state during a physical exercise that is proportional to a change in general homeostatic state achieved by exercising, the physical exercise having

a duration,

an intensity that may vary over the duration of the physical exercise and that at any given moment during the physical exercise has a value defined as a momentary intensity,

a physiological target that is a physiological state of the person at the end of the physical exercise, and

a performance parameter, that is one selected from a group consisting of distance, duration of the exercise, speed, power output of work, EPOC change, accumulated EPOC, energy consumption, energy consumed, oxygen consumption, total oxygen consumption, heart-rate level, TRIMP already accumulated, number of steps, work output as a function of speed and inclination of surface, and change in blood lactic acid concentration,

the method comprising steps of:

setting the physiological target and the performance parameter at the start of the exercise;

during the physical exercise at regular intervals;

a) measuring by a sensor at least one quantity that is proportional to the momentary intensity and selected from a group consisting of heart rate, speed, pedalling power measured from pedals of a bicycle, % VO₂max and rate of EPOC accumulation;

b) calculating a present physiological state of the person and an estimate of the physiological state at the end of the physical exercise using said measured quantity and a cumulative value of exercise performed; and

c) defining a intensity guidance range for the momentary intensity using the calculated values of the present physiological state and the estimate of the physiological state at the end of physical exercise and a criteria, wherein the lower limit of the expanded intensity guidance range is defined in such a way that, at the defined performance ability level of the person, at each moment the exercise can still be performed to the end, wherein the target values of the performance parameter and physiological state will be reached;

d) wherein the person is guided by means of feedback to keep the exercise intensity within the defined dynamic intensity guidance range.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower limit of the expanded intensity guidance range is defined in such a way that the person may not draw away from the physiological target state faster than a selected criterion.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower limit of the expanded intensity guidance range is defined in such a way that the person may not draw away farther than a selected criterion from the physiological state reached earlier in the exercise.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the quantity proportional to the momentary intensity is one of the following:

the person'"'"'s heart rate, oxygen consumption, speed, power of external work, and activity.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a cumulative target state is calculated using a chosen physiologically cumulative quantity, which is proportional to the change in general homeostatic state caused by the exercise.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the performance parameter is the duration of the physical exercise.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that a tolerance, which is at most 10 minutes plus 15% of the set duration, is defined for the duration of the physical exercise.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the performance parameter is the distance performed by the physical exercise.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the intensity guidance range is defined so that the person is permitted to maintain the momentary intensity, even though the estimate of the physiological state may deviate momentarily from the physiological target.

10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the person is given feedback visually and/or audibly.

11. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the defined intensity guidance range takes a stress profile of the distance into account.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that an altitude profile of the distance is recorded during the physical exercise.

13. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that a route bank is created, comprising predefined routes that can be uploaded together with their stress profiles.