Runners and cyclists love their gadgets; the more accurately we can monitor our performance, the better. Nowadays, you can wear the best running watch and heart rate monitor and use the best cycling computers simultaneously, tracking anything from cadence, calories burned, left/right balance and much more.
Even in the somewhat oversaturated fitness wearable market, Supersapiens' ecosystem, powered by the Abbott Libre Sense biosensor, offers something new and unique. Supersapiens created a system that monitors glucose levels in real time, which could help you better understand how much 'fuel you have got left in the tank' at any given point.
This can come in handy in various situations: runners and cyclists can monitor and fine-tune their pre-race 'carb-loading' (a.k.a. glucose loading) process and track their energy levels during races and training sessions. Also, by logging 'events' in the Supersapiens app, users can track how different food items affected their glucose levels, better understanding their dietary needs.
What is continuous glucose monitoring, and how does the Supersapiens ecosystem work?
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is not a new concept, but as you might have guessed, in the past, it was mainly used by diabetics to track their glucose levels. It took years of hard work for Phil Southerland, founder of Supersapiens and former professional cyclist, to connect the dots and materialise a system that benefits all manner of sportspeople, not just diabetics.
As weird as it sounds, it must have helped that Phil was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes when he was only seven months old, making him more aware of the dangers of high glucose levels. His medical condition didn't stop him from becoming a professional cyclist, though, and years spent on the saddle further cemented the idea in his head that other riders could also benefit from CGM.
How does the system work? As Supersapiens puts it, "Abbott's Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor provides glucose monitoring via a mobile app to athletes performing sports such as cycling, running and swimming, to understand the efficacy of their nutrition choices on training and competition." By using the Supersapiens ecosystem, athletes can track and understand glucose levels, so they can fuel up appropriately and help avoid fatigue from low glucose levels.
Supersapiens: price and availability
Abbott's Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor will be available in the 'coming weeks' directly through the Supersapiens website. The product will initially be made available across eight European countries: Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Prices from €130 for a 28-day subscription, including an Abbott Libre Sense biosensor 2-pack.
Supersapiens: further use
As well as helping athletes, the Supersapiens ecosystem has the potential to provide useful information for people who want to lose weight and understand their nutritional needs better too. For example, when cravings strike, it would be as easy as checking the Supersapiens app to see if your glucose levels are actually low or if you just have the munchies because you are bored.
Using the Abbott biosensors can also help users visualise just how their body reacts to the food they eat. We all have different digestive systems, and eating carbs/fats/protein affects our bodies differently. With Supersapines, the nutritional information can be personalised to each individual.
