Jog/Rest

In this week's Rundown, connected fitness gets new AI, researchers tackle active versus passive recovery during intervals and eating more protein leads dieters to healthier food choices overall.

Ready Player One. Altis has launched an AI fitness trainer, which the connected fitness technology company says is the first “meaningful convergence of exercise science and computer science that sees, understands and personally instructs users through a gamified, mixed-reality experience.”

The soundbar-size console is plugged into a TV or monitor and uses BodyGPS, a patented, sensorless motion capture system (currently being validated by the University of Miami Biomechanics Lab) that uses cameras to capture every part of the body, including joint rotation, within one-centimeter accuracy. The system is also able to detect joint velocity, which is used to determine the user’s fatigue in real-time in order to manage weight, reps and sets.

Using BodyGPS, Altis shows a real-time avatar of the user’s body and displays on-screen targets and visual cues to instruct proper form. The company’s software learns from users’ behavior to create a personalized program.

Currently, Altis is sold here with shipping scheduled for September. According to the brand, it will be more widely available for purchase on the Altis website by the end of the summer.

Jog/Rest. Is jogging the recovery in interval workouts better than walking it? New research from the University of A Coruna in Spain compared active (jogging) and passive (standing around) recovery between repeats during interval workouts. Eleven well-trained distance runners did 4 x 2:00 at their maximum aerobic speed, with 2:00 of either rest or jogging between intervals.

The researchers found that taking a complete rest enabled the runners to spend more time in the extreme zone (between 90 and 100 percent VO2 max) compared to running as hard as they could until they couldn’t run anymore. Put another way, the rest meant the runners suffered more rather than less. On the other hand, with complete rest, the runners’ perceived effort (measured right after each hard repeat) was lower. As a result, the researchers concluded that complete rest is better for this type of workout because you get similar cardiorespiratory benefits but the workout feels easier.

It should be noted however, that these results had borderline statistical significance and identical speeds were prescribed for the repeats, meaning that if speeds were freely chosen, the participants might run a faster workout with jog rests.

So the question is: Is it better to make your workout harder or easier? You might think that passive recovery works best because your muscles will be full of lactate and you’ll get practice running in this condition. Or, you might think a jogging recovery is better because you are training your body to get rid of lactate quicker, allowing your legs to move faster. The answer depends on your goals for any given session.

Protein Power. Increasing your protein intake could be a factor in making better food choices. In a recent study, researchers from Rutgers University analyzed data collected from over 200 men and women, aged 24-75 who registered a body mass index that characterized them as either obese or overweight. All participants were encouraged to lose weight by following a 500 calorie deficit diet and making 18 or 20 percent of their caloric intake lean protein. They met regularly for nutritional counseling and support for six months.

Both the low-protein (18%) and the high-protein (20%) groups lost about five percent of their body weight over six months but the high-protein group increased their intake of green vegetables and chose a mix of healthier foods to eat overall. This group was also better able to retain their lean muscle mass than the low-protein group.

Co-author of the study, Sue Shapses, a professor of nutritional sciences, says the results were unusual. “It’s somewhat remarkable that a self-selected, slightly higher protein intake during dieting is accompanied by a higher intake of green vegetables and reduced intake of refined grains and added sugar but that’s precisely what we found.”