The Future of Fitness TECH
Technology sets quite a pace. It’s only 20 years since we strapped on our first GPS running watches, barely a decade since the first runner chased a Strava segment and only a few years since records started being served up on carbon plates. In less than a generation, we’ve swapped basic stopwatches and manual pulse reads for real-time heart-rate tracking, VO2-max estimates and recovery-time suggestions. Wearable tracking tech has already colonised runners’ bodies, but in the coming decade, we’ll see it get right under the skin, literally, of running performance. Think: targeted insights that unlock some of the complexities of our unique physiology and biochemistry. Intrigued? Thought so. Here are some top tools running your way...
THE RACE FUEL
We still rely on generalised advice when it comes to how much, how often and what we eat to power our runs. But in the near future, we’ll be able to switch from blanket guidelines to bespoke fuelling. Polar’s FuelWise watch feature already uses physiological data to suggest fuelling strategies for racing and training, based on the duration and estimated heart-rate intensity of your run. The recommendations adapt in real time if your effort levels deviate, but it’s still a rough estimate. Skin-worn, real-time Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) – created for diabetics – will make runfuelling a
