Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02355849 2001-09-28
DETERMINING THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE OF A PERSON
The invention relates to a process and a device which directly establishes the
current
physical performance capability of people while training, in which the heart
rate is constantly
determined and from the determined heart rate and the speed of movement of the
person a
figure is calculated which expresses the performance capability of that
person. The speed of
movement of the person is recorded from the signals which come from the radar
device the
person has with him/her and calculated by means of a calculating device which
the person
also has with him/her.
A minature radar speedometer, which is worn directly on the body and which
records the
current speed of a moving person by recording and evaluating the Doppler
effect, is well-
known from the US-PS 4,757,714.
A mobile measuring device worn directly on the body to record the heart rate
is well-known
from the US-PS 4,566,461. In this case the heart beat is recorded by means of
a breast strap
and transmitted to a device worn on the wrist.
What is important in the evaluation of the stamina performance capability of a
sportsperson
is the heart rate-deflection point also called the anaerobic threshold. In
order to determine
this the point is established in the heart rate-speed diagram, from which With
increasing
strain. e.g. increasing running tempo, the heart rate can no longer increase
in a linear
fashion. If the body is strained to this point, the oxygen taken in through
the lungs and the
blood into the muscles is sufficient to break down the lactate produced in the
conversion of
energy to the same extent to which it is produced. This is also known as
sufficient aerobic
energy provision. As far as this intensity is not increased, there is a
lactate-balance. The
anaerobic threshold shows the maximum speed with which the strain can be
endured over a
longer period. If this speed is increased to over the anerobic threshold, then
there will be an
increase in lactate, which can no longer be completely broken down.
In order to establish the anaerobic threshold a so-called Conconi-Test or a
Lactate-Threshold
Test is carried out. The Conconi-Test is a very simple non-invasive method to
establish the
anerobic threshold, whereby a heart rate speed diagram is produced. The
sportsperson moves
on a closed off running track. He/she must start with 8 to 12 km/h increasing
his/her speed by
0.5km/h every 200 meters. The heart rate is recorded for the duration of the
test. The test
Is over when the sportsperson can no longer keep to the given speed. In order
to determine the
speed a time card is used or in modern tests a loud speaker which, according
to the speed, gives
off a signal every 20 meters. On the track, bollards have been set up every 20
CA 02355849 2001-09-28
meters. The sportsperson only has to ensure that he/she runs past a bollard
every time
he/she hears the signal.
In the case of the Lactate-Test blood is taken from the body during the
endurance period. In
practice the test is carried out with the runner moving on a closed running
track. The runner
is given the running tempo by means of time cards. After a given running time
the lactate
content in the blood is measured. The speed is gradually increased. The heart
rate is
recorded for the duration of the test. The test is over when the sportsperson
can no longer
keep to the given speed. The heart rate and the lactate content are recorded
in a diagram.
When the anaerobic threshold is exceeded there is a great increase in the
lactate content.
This method however requires the presence of a doctor and is therefore rather
inconvenient
for the sportsperson.
A further disadvantage of these tests is that the sportsperson is tied to one
place and
additional personnel are also required in order to carry out the tests.
It is also very important especially for the competitive sportsperson to be
able to establish
that day's performance capability and/or the recovery time in order to choose
the endurance
training correctly.
Apart from the length of time needed for the above-mentioned methods in
recording the
current performance capability, they are also tied to a particular place
because of the
additional stationary devices required for the establishing of the data.
It is therefore the task of this device to create a process and a device to
establish the current
performance capability, which is not tied to one place and which requires no
additional
stationary devices, as well as doing without the medical aid. The invented
process and the
device should enable the sportsperson to receive the required information
concerning his/her
performance capability during the training without additional aids.
This task is solved by means of a process, which shows the charcateristics of
claim 1.
The invented device consists of a minature speedometer which establishes the
distance
covered and the current speed, from the current heart rate and by means of a
calculating
device which records the values from the signals given by the transmittor and
from the heart
rate monitor, thereby calculating the required values, whereby all the
components are
registered on a device worn directly on the body of the sportsperson.
This device itself registers the following data:
CA 02355849 2001-09-28
* the current speed, in km/h, m/sec or miles/h.
* the distance covered by means of a daily kilometer counter or total
kilometer counter and
* the current heart rate via a normal ECG pulse monitor.
The current performance in particular (in watt) and the daily energy
consumption (in kJ or
kcal) as well as the average speed and the maximum speed can be determined
from this
data.
It is of course possible to transmit the stored data to any data processing
unit in order to
carry out a more detailed analysis as in the more conventional way, whereby
the speed of a
skiier over several relay stations on the piste can be transmitted and shown
directly on tv.
The advantages of the invented process and device are that a determining of
the current
threshold can be carried out, whereby the sportsperson is permanently
controlled in his/her
speed via the display of the invented device. It is completely independent of
the place where
the threshold is established and it can be established without any additional
aids or help. As
soon as the anerobic threshold has been exceeded the device finishes the test
and informs
the sportsperson of his/her speed and his/her heart rate at this anaerobic
threshold. The
corresponding speed serves to evaluate the performance capability and the
corresponding
heart rate serves as a stopping point for future training plans.
Furthermore the device is capable of showing the gradient of the heart rate
course at the
speed as an index for the current recovery time or the resilience of the
sportsperson.
Depending on the form of training in the past days or weeks the gradient of
the heart rate
course changes. Should the sportsperson approach "over training" then the
maximum heart
rate sinks, the relaxed rate increases. As a result the line of regression
becomes flatter. In
the other case the line of regression becomes steeper following a period with
a low extent of
training.
This recovery or resilience index can also be calculated without exceeding the
anareobic
threshold. With the position of the line of regression (three to five heart
rate points are
transmitted at low speed) a possible change in the position of the anaerobic
threshold can be
calculated compared to the previous test, without running through it.
Should the maximum heart rate be recorded in the calculating device on the
basis of the
generally used rule of thumb (max. heart rate = 220 - age) or on other
experience values, the
anaerobic threshold can also be calculated with acceptable exactness based on
the line of
regression, without the person having to run over this anaerobic threshold and
thereby
preventing over-exertion. This is a great advantage especially in the case of
older or sick
people.
CA 02355849 2001-09-28
Furthermore if the line of regression is transmitted at the beginning of the
training the drop in
performance compared to the beginning of the training can be calculated and be
presented
in order to prevent over-exertion.
By establishing the maximal performance capability of the day without having
to run the
anaerobic threshold, it will be possible to acheive an increase in performance
without
overexerting the organism during a longer training programme. The invented
device and
process have a very wide field of application. They are suitable for
competitive sportspeople
for example who basically carry out their sport without aids. These are sports
such as
running, skiing, track and field athletics, tennis, football, ice hockey, ice
skating. It can also be
used advantageously in sports diagnostics in the evaluation of performance. It
is of particular
advantage in rehabilitation in the registering and displaying of the progress
in performance or
in the protection of a possible over-exertion of the organism.
The device is shown in the following diagram. In this a signal of a certain
frequency is
pointed diagonally at the floor via a microwave module 1. As in the Doppler
effect the
microwaves reflected on the floor undergo a linear change in frequency
according to the
running speed. The Doppler-frequency is separated in the microwave module 1
via a mixed
or filter via the reflection signal. In the signal preparation module 2 the
Doppler-frequency is
increased and filtered. The diagonal frequency of the filter can be freely
adjusted by the user.
The Doppler-signal is adjusted to a preferred level of speed by limiting the
frequency range.
Should the sportsperson run for example along a street then he/she can prevent
the radar
device from recording the passing cars, thereby falsifying the distance
covered and showing
false readings. Should he/she choose for example 25 km/h as the maximum speed
limit ,
then the sources of disruption on the street are eliminated. Following the
filtering, the
Doppler-signal is changed into a rectangular signal via a Schmitt-Trigger and
transmitted to
the micro-controller 3. Here the current speed is determined according to the
following
formula:
fd=((2voxfa)/c)xcosa
whereby: fd = Doppler-frequency
vo = Running speed c = Speed of light
fo = Transmittor frequency a = Angle of reflection
The distance covered can be transmitted from the number of rectangular
impulses. The heart
rate impulses are received in Block 4 and transmitted to micro-controller 3 to
calculate the
heart rate. The results of the calculation in micro-controller 3 can be shown
as desired on
display 5. A signal 6 and input area 7 complete the invented device.
