A new application has been designed to help people regardless of their level and to explain the science of physical activity and sports in lay terms.
A new web application has been developed for interval training using a new algorithm that gives users full control over the level of difficulty so that the session will be neither too easy nor too hard.
‘Developing a more powerful and user-friendly application in which the degree of difficulty could be controlled at all times, based on the exerciser’s needs will improve our workout.’
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All About High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Interval training is the best way to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness and overall sports performance. It works for everyone, from the elite athlete preparing for the Olympics to the regular weekend athlete to the patient who wants to improve their physical condition. There are many tools available to help coaches and athletes plan interval training sessions but none of them are ideal for juggling all the factors: the nature of the exercise, the number, duration, and intensity of the low- and high-intensity intervals, the number of sets.Adjunct Prof. Guy Thibault, an exercise physiologist at the School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences (EKSAP), University of Montreal, wanted to do something about it.
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New User-Friendly Model
Existing interval training apps use mathematical models or algorithms designed to balance the degree of difficulty of each session and provide a progression but even the most popular ones can come up with sessions that are physically unfeasible.The models that are in vogue sometimes prescribe sessions in which the exerciser is supposed to do the first burst of activity at an intensity higher than their record, which makes no sense.
Thibault is working to develop a more powerful and user-friendly model in which the degree of difficulty could be controlled at all times, based on the exerciser’s needs.
To accomplish this he teamed up with Jonathan Tremblay, physiologist, and professor at EKSAP, and Jérémy Briand, a master’s student in exercise physiology at UdeM, data scientist at the INS, and Canadian triathlon champion.
Together, they have designed a rotating cube graphical model that incorporates all the parameters of an interval training session. The final algorithm will give users full control over the level of difficulty; no session will be too easy or too hard.
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An Application for Everyone
While Thibault and his team’s application may seem complex, it isn’t intended for initiates alone. Anyone will be able to use it when it is released, currently scheduled for early 2023.The app will be designed with high-level athletes and their coaches in mind, but it will be easy to use. There is no need to have a scientific background or understand math to appreciate its features.
Source-Medindia