Reach your peak
BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THE SADDLE WITH THE LATEST SPORTS SCIENCE AND TECH FINDINGS
01 NO MORE SUGAR LOWS
At first glance, Abbot’s Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor could be mistaken for a small round sticking plaster, of the type anyone who’s ever donated blood or plasma might recognise. Until now, this ingenious little disc – worn by an increasing number of cyclists – communicated vital information about glucose levels to a smartphone app or some of Garmin’s gadgets.
But now, riders can get second-by-second feedback on critical energy-level info thanks to a specialist wrist-worn or handlebar-mounted Energy Band. Developed by Supersapiens Systems, the bands display the user’s glucose data – transmitted from the performance patch biosensor via Bluetooth – to help manage fuel intake, sustain high-intensity work and avoid the fatigue that comes with low glucose levels.
Stick the Abbot biosensor disc to your upper arm and a filament that sits just under the top layer of your skin keeps tabs on your bloodsugar levels while you ride. It then relays the data to the Energy Band, alerting you if you need to grab a gel or energy drink. The Energy Band is an easy-to-read gadget that looks like a watch, although it doesn’t offer watch- or heartrate functions.
The science behind this glucosemonitoring technology stems from research into ways that diabetics can monitor and manage their vital glucose levels and the principles have been adapted for cycling use by Phil Southerland, a Type-1 diabetes rider who led a team of diabetic cyclists to break the world record for the Race Across America.
“Giving an athlete visibility to their glucose levels can help them understand the efficacy of their nutrition choices, fuel appropriately and avoid fatigue from low-glucose events,” Phil told
Cycling Plus. “By constantly seeing their glucose status they know when to replenish during training
and competition. This translates into more fuelled training minutes and bigger performance gains.”
The Supersapiens Energy Band (159 euros plus 150 euros a month membership including app access, sensor and patches) is available at supersapiens.com.
“A filament that sits just under the top layer of your skin keeps tabs on your blood-sugar levels”