Method and apparatus for calculating physiological training parameters
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining an exercise parameter during a physical performance or after it. In the method the pulse of the heart is measured by means of a sensor, the pulse value is determined on the basis of the measurement and the said exercise parameter is calculated on the basis of the pulse value. According to the invention, a recovery pulse value is determined on the basis of the pulse value and previously determined pre-data, the value being dynamically varied during the exercise and the said exercise parameter being defined by using the recovery pulse value. With the invention, it is possible to accurately estimate the recovery time required after the performance as well as the energy consumption during the performance.
1. A method for calculating with a computer apparatus having a data processing unit that is functionally connected to a pulse sensor, an exercise parameter after a physical performance by a person, comprising:
measuring a heart rate of the person by the pulse sensor,
the data processing unit receiving pulse signals from the pulse sensor that include data about the heart rate,
determining a current pulse value based on the measured heart rate,
determining, during an uninterrupted physical performance, recursively a dynamically variable current recovery pulse value based at least on the current pulse value, predefined pre-data values stored in a memory means, and a previously determined previous recovery pulse value,
said dynamically variable current recovery pulse value indicating a pulse level achieved at a certain time after the performance is interrupted and the person stays still, and
utilizing the data processing unit to compare the determined current pulse value with the predefined pre-data values stored in the memory means to obtain data that characterizes a recovery process of the person, which, based on the current pulse value and the current dynamically variable current recovery pulse value, is used to carry out the computation of said exercise parameter and to provide an output of the same on a user interface of said computer apparatus.
2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
deriving the current pulse value from the measured heart rate by a formula using as a factor, a difference between the measured heart rate HR, and a resting heart rate HR rest of the person,
wherein the resting heart rate HR rest of the person is the predefined pre-data stored in memory means.
3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the difference (HR−HR rest ) is put in relation with an available pulse reserve defined by (HR max −HR rest ) by using a formula having as a factor (HR−HR rest ) (HR max −HR rest ),
where HR is the measured heart rate,
the HR rest is the resting heart rate of the person, and
the HR max is the maximum heart rate of the person.
4. A method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
calculating the recovery pulse value using a formula comprising as a factor, an index describing the fitness level of the person.
5. A method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
calculating the recovery pulse value using a formula comprising as a factor, an index describing a fitness level of the person.
6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating the recovery pulse value by using a formula as a factor, an index describing a fitness level of the person.
7. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the dynamically variable current recovery pulse value recursively by using a previously determined recovery pulse value, the method comprising:
providing a first table connecting the current pulse values and saturation levels of the recovery pulse values corresponding therewith,
reading from the first table a first saturation level of a specific recovery pulse value corresponding to the current pulse value,
changing the specific recovery pulse value based on the first saturation level.
8. A method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
choosing contents of the first table based on whether the current pulse value is larger or smaller than the specific recovery pulse value.
9. A method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
providing a second table, the second table connecting the current pulse values and saturation speed coefficients corresponding therewith,
reading from the second table a first saturation speed coefficient corresponding with the current pulse value, and
changing a first recovery pulse value based on the said saturation level and the first saturation speed coefficient.
10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein choosing contents of the second table based on an index describing a fitness level of the person.
11. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating a converted pulse value ((HR−HR rest )−HR recovery ) based on the current pulse value by subtracting a recovery pulse value therefrom, and
calculating said exercise parameter by using the converted pulse value.
12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said exercise parameter is a recovery time describing a resting time needed by the person for fully recovering from a current exercise.
13. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
calculating the recovery time recursively by using a previously determined recovery time so that
each time when the current pulse value is higher than the determined pulse level, the recovery time is increased, and
each time when the current pulse value is lower than or equal to a determined dynamically variable current recovery pulse value, the recovery time is reduced.
14. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
calculating the recovery time based on an effective exercise time, the effective exercise time being calculated from an actual pulse frequency and a maximum performance pulse, the maximum performance pulse being chosen depending on a type of a sport the person is doing.
15. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
calculating the recovery time by taking into account an index describing a fitness level of the person.
16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the said exercise parameter is energy consumption.
17. A method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
converting the current pulse value into an oxygen consumption value,
calculating the energy consumption based on the oxygen consumption value using an algorithm taking into account sex, age, weight of the person, as well as an index describing a fitness level of the person.
18. A method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
converting the current pulse value into the oxygen consumption value using a different conversion depending on whether the current pulse value is lower or higher than the recovery pulse value.
19. A method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the determination of the dynamically variable current recovery pulse value comprises the further step of:
providing as a predefined pre-data a first table stored in said memory means, said first table connecting pulse values and saturation levels of recovery pulse values corresponding therewith,
reading from the first table a saturation level of a recovery pulse value corresponding to the current pulse value,
changing the recovery pulse value on the basis of the said saturation level.
20. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the dynamically variable current recovery pulse value comprises the further steps of:
providing as a predefined pre-data a second table stored in said memory means, said second table connecting the current pulse values and saturation speed coefficients corresponding therewith,
reading from the second table a saturation speed coefficient corresponding with the current pulse value, and
changing the recovery pulse value on the said saturation level and said saturation speed coefficient.