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Computer Software: Its Role and Function in Fitness Athletic Training and Athletic Performance in Real and Virtual Environments
by Kenneth P. Burres, M.D. FABNS, FASLMS, MACSM
(Revised March 2006)
- Background of training plans
- Data management
- Software solutions and predictive solutions
- Virtual training and the Future of Fitness
Every athlete, coach and aspiring weekend warrior faces the challenge of maintaining or improving fitness training, athletic performance and recovery, and competitive prowess. Many non-athletic people share similar goals, but less lofty and orient to looking better and slimmer. In the past, performance improvements in sports and fitness have been found by trial and error, literature articles nonscientific and scientific, fitness articles, trainer and coach assistance, and other methods. The use of computer technology for training, compiling data and identifying trends to optimize outcomes is commonplace in many fields, but uncommon in fitness. Advancing health, fitness and athletic training promises with computer technology to make fitness safer, more efficient, better motivated, and pushing athletic performances to new heights in this millennium.
Powerful computer technology, once limited to large corporations and the military, is available on PC desktops. Prior to the Cold War, coaches in Eastern Block countries were using rudimentary software to track workout data, trend performances, and mathematically plan for peak performance and winning results. These sophisticated methods helped produce Olympic and world championship performances in the 1980s. Although some of these performances may have been influenced by anabolic steroid supplements, there is good evidence to show that success was related to a optimized training using PC technology. The use of these computer programs in competition was not recognized until later and is being used in the US today by derivative organizations using Russian athletic databases.
Insightful and more powerful PC technology, artificial intelligence, and expert systems are not new, but their use has been limited to military solutions, e.g. “Smart Weapons” like those used in the Gulf War. This technology allows performance analysis to remain very goal focused and incorporate physiologic and training factors to achieve specific ends. Even after only a few workout days, the amount of fitness data obtainable can be enormous. The human brain simply cannot manage this barrage of observations, calculations and fitness factors, both negative and positive, that affect training and competition. An interactive trend analyzer is required to deal with the possible combinations and permutations. A simple example-- shorter distance goal event training leans more on anaerobic data; long distance training, with a greater risk of overtraining and injury, looks to other areas of the workout database. Individual training plans incorporate different mixes of distance, speed work, heart rate criteria, etc. The training algorithms for different sports and cross-training further creates a more complicated “dilemma” that PC technology can solve.
Analogue and Digital data aspects of training
Athletic training and competition generate two types of data--analogue and digital. Examples of analogue data include athletic style, biomechanical efficiency, the effects of environment variables, equipment changes and settings, sport surfaces, apparel, etc. The differences may be subtle, but can dictate success or failure in sport. For example, for swimmers-- breaststroke vs. freestyle, a genetically determined shoulder and hip rotation angle may dictate more efficient stroke mechanics and success and orient an athlete to specialize. Athlete analogue perspectives often have a genetic link, such as femur length in marathon runners and the success of Kenyan runners (who have a longer femur than other marathon groups). A swimmer or cyclist can be biomechanically efficient, but limited in potential performance success by genetically determined connective tissue compliance and developed muscular fiber mix applied to certain joints. These aspects can be analyzed using sophisticated digitizing tools but are still only derived digital data. The analysis of such converted data is recent and its relative importance is being studied
On the other hand, digital data is direct measurements at high resolution. This data can be obtained from lab or data capturing instruments--stopwatches, exercise machines, heart rate monitors, pedometers and GPS devices, lactate analyzers, EKG machines, and many more. Digital data is by nature accurate. Incorporating such data raises the usefulness of the database and outcome analysis. As sports science grows, more realistic digital data will be recorded and more accurate methods of digitizing analogue data will be necessary to make the fitness database more complete.
Heart Rate Monitors, Digital Fitness Data and Your Computer
In the last twenty years, heart rate monitors have become standard equipment for many athletes, coaches and physicians. Experts such as Sally Edwards, Edmund R. Burke, Ph.D., James Rippe, M.D., as well as world-class athletes like Greg LeMond, Scott Tinley, Mark Allen, and Pauli Kiuri, have used heart rate monitoring to maximize training efficiency and consistency and avoid overtraining. The storage and analysis of sequential heart rate recorded workouts and beat-to-beat data permit performance comparison and utilization to alter and perfect training procedures. Adding other physiologic factors-- sleep pattern changes, body weight fluctuations, body fat trends, injury and/or illness avoidance, lactic acid and blood sugar trends, etc., and then analyze these factors, software solutions may be the “New Coach”.
Accumulated and sequential workout heart rate data is only one measure of cardio-respiratory performance. Laboratory collected data, i.e. blood pH, blood lactate, expired gas analysis, and other factors make this more scientific, but collection of such data is hard to accomplish in the field. Wrist-based and chest based rf-transmitted heart rate monitors can accumulate workout data that can be analyzed by athletic training software in real-time or after the exercise session. Other digital devices-- pedometers and accelerometers (distance measurements)-- have declined in price, and gained widespread use and add to data acquirement.
Virtual Training
Fitness machines typically include outdoor and indoor equipment or mixing environments cycling outdoors and then taking the bike indoors on a training adapter. Use of fitness machines in gyms and homes is common and often plagued by boredom and resultant poor efforts. Virtual reality changes that by adding realism and motivation.
What is virtual training? It is an athlete and a fitness machine in a simulated environment with various levels of outdoor-simulated realism. Probably the simplest version is cycling with a trackstand and an adapter that takes the spinning motion of the rear wheel and converts it into a signal that triggers a videotape or DVD to accelerate or decelerate in accordance with cycling speed. As the on screen character goes faster, the video goes faster BUT the rider will never catch the rider up ahead! So, that level of interactive realism is not available. The user can enjoy environmental sounds or post-production effects. Fitness data cannot be captured with this system.
The next level of virtual realism utilizes game consoles such as Nintendo, (www.nintendo.com) Sega Genesis (http://www.sega.com/), Sony Playstation (www.sony.com), and X-Box (www.xbox.com). Videogame consoles have been available for many years and some include modems, keyboards, data storage, DVD use, and networking. These systems have taken existing videogames and utilized adapters to, once again, use cycling speed and joystick utilities to convert the cyclist into a motorcyclist or motorcrosser in the game. There is a distinct limit to realism, networking, workout data display and storage, and no cycling courses. One advantage is that this can be setup in any room with a television and there is no PC required. The workout venue is “borrowed” and the rider has to get used to motorcycle sounds instead of the hum of a bike chain.
The next level of virtual reality requires a PC computer with 3D video and sound cards. If networking is planned, then a network adapter and support software is needed. Some virtual reality fitness solutions allow the user to use their own fitness machine (i.e., bike, treadmill, rower, etc.), and some require the manufacturer’s proprietary software and hardware. Networking with other athletes produces a realism-- the user can cycle or run, etc. with a group and actually compete on the Internet. (FitCentric ). With many softwares, fitness data can be saved, analyzed, and even assigned to another virtual athlete (train with yourself). Some software products support voice communications between athletes using the Internet (VOIP). PC software can be DVD with signals to a trainer to adjust resistance or grade.
The fourth level of virtual training is still more compelling but requires the user to obtain 3D headgear and 3D virtual training software to achieve greater levels of immersion. The sessions save fitness data and, using embedded expert system algorithms can advise the athlete in real time, based on performance to date and real-time data. In these 3D environment, “friends” and competitors could be so close as to produce the “pack” feeling with virtual drafting, fellow climbers on stepper machines would look around and observe the next peak with approaching weather, and rowers would experience their boats “swing” as they obtain biomechanical efficiency. Swimmers can simulate open water or lap pools and be paced by a friendly or chased across the bay by Jaws! The 3D environment would focus the user’s attention just as they would be outdoors and support virtual competitions on and off the Internet.
The fifth and most compelling of virtual realities is the Hologram. Introduced to the public in the Star Trek television series, this computer generated world is as realistic as possible. Indeed, the user cannot separate their experience from reality, yet it is all simulated. No 3D glasses are needed as the virtual world is an embedded 3D environment. This solution is for the future.
Identifying Overtraining
Athletic training is not just for competitive and professional athletes. The majority of individuals who work out on a regular basis are using their training to stay fit, lose weight, and reduce cardiac risk. Most athletes do not have access to, or cannot afford, a coach and may rely on monthly publications, word of mouth, and books to provide workout plans and coaching assistance. Athletic training software does fill the gap if it is affordable, interactive, accurate, and has appropriate functionality. Publications may warn of overtraining, a form of athletic exhaustion with serious consequences, but the individual factors and trends that create this syndrome are often overlooked by the enthusiastic participant. Computer observation of these same factors and trends, however, can recognize progressive exhaustion and workouts can be adjusted or halted accordingly. These subtle changes may make the difference between success, failure, and/or injury. Firstbeat Technologies of Finland has done extensive research in this area and created online realtime embedding software modules that work to reduce this risk
Assessment vs. Management
Athletic computer software programs generally fall into two categories. The first includes fitness assessment programs, oriented towards testing of physiology including flexibility and aerobic capacity (V02 MAX). Assessment software has been developed to recognize EKG (electrocardiograph) patterns during training and cardiac testing. These programs require sophisticated and expensive hardware and are generally research tools used in laboratories to study athletes and the effect of specific conditioning variables. They are usually not available to the public, and have limited application to “real-world” athletes.
The second group of software has been developed for users-- athletes with enough computer literacy to adopt software to help manage their performance and utilize PCs for virtual training. Physiologic and performance data is entered or digitally downloaded from fitness devices and machines into a database, which can produce analytically valuable charts, graphs and other reporting tools. Programs that are more sophisticated offer expert system utilities that harness the processing power of computers to create workout programs that optimize athletic performance, both from an athletic performance and time management perspective.
Choosing Athletic Training and Virtual Software:
The software should meet the following criteria:
1. User friendliness, i.e. easy data entry and simple, quick configuration.
2. Complete management of all athletic training data in multiple sports and for different users
3. The ability to provide coaching suggestions based on individual workout data and goals.
4. The program should be capable of accepting customized workout plans with directed emphasis produced by coaches and trainers.
5. The program must be able to recognize overtraining and adjust workouts accordingly.
6. The capability of accepting data from fitness devices, including heart rate monitors, pedometers, lactic acid analyzers, other devices and fitness machines.
7. The ability to generate easily understood and customized graphs, charts, summaries and reports.
8. The ability to identify personal bests/records and set goals for motivation and optimal training goal-oriented.
9. Configurability to different athlete fitness levels, from entry level to professionals.
10. Upgrades should be readily available on a regular basis as improvements and insights are gained in sports medicine and exercise physiology as well as support for new and upgraded devices.
11. Friendly and competent Technical Support in multiple languages
12. Support for different kinds of fitness machines.
13. Realistic virtual training with a library of motivating courses that are PC interactive and display performance data in real-time and quickly transfer it to trainers and store it for analysis. Networking of fitness machines (LAN and Internet)—for data access and interaction amongst users including courses with a mixture of fitness machines.
14. Virtual software should offer various display options including wide screen LCD, LCD projectors, 3-D headgear and communications options such as VOIP. A one PC multi-user solution for spin rooms and similar is also necessary.
The Future of Fitness
Computerization offers fitness enthusiasts, those aspiring to weight loss, and those aspiring to higher competitive achievements a present and future solution. For those looking for the competitive edge, they have little choice as the difference between win and lose can is in the numbers with optimization of training effects and avoidance of overtraining and physiological overload. Virtual training is the future for competitive athletes, as they practice aspects of training with data accumulation and study. In addition, visualization of a course virtually before competition will give the athlete an real edge for race day. In time, the hologram will make it possible for the athlete to emulate the race--a, spectacular possibility – also, allowing coaches to “be there” in real time.
About the Author
Kenneth P. Burres, M.D. is a neurosurgeon, sports medicine physician, and four-time Ironman® triathlet with over 145 triathlons under his belt and a 3rd place Masters championship in 1986. He is CEO of FitCentric® Technologies, Inc. a leading developer of Internet-enabled fitness software for the sports industry. The company produces innovative virtual athletic training and fitness data management systems for home and commercial use. FitCentric’s products motivate and assist people of all ages to improve their health, fitness and athletic performance, while “serving the technology needs of today’s digital athlete™”.
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