It is not a surprise that Artificial Intelligence is being applied in numerous sectors – we see virtual chefs, superhuman doctors, chatbots as sales assistants. The field of fitness is not an exception. As lack of time is being quoted the most as a reason for not exercising regularly (Green, 2019), researchers are interested in looking into how to optimize our fitness habits in order to get maximum returns for our efforts (Green, 2019).
One of the products of interest in this area is CARdiovascular Optimization Logic (CAR.O.L) which is an Artificial Intelligence powered exercise bike which wants to change the way we do exercise by providing the optimal and personalized exercise solution to each of us. It optimizes each workout and meticulously calibrates the intensity based on how fast you lose muscle power (CAR.O.L, 2019). To be more precise, CAR.O.L Fit Ai exercise session includes 2 minutes of warm-up, 20 sec sprint, 3 minutes recovery alongside another 20 second sprint and 3 minute cool-down (CAR.O.L, 2019). This regime focuses on depleting glycogen resources as quickly as possible, as the depletion triggers your organism to improve fitness, fat metabolism and to remodel the muscles (CAR.O.L, 2019).
CAR.O.L Fit AI was founded by mechanical engineer Ulrich Dempfle and microbiologist in training Ratna Singh who has spent her career advertising and management consulting and was the first entrepreneur-in-residence at McKinsey & Company’s in Silicon Valley (Asprey, 2019). They clinically tested the exercise bike through a randomized peer-reviewed controlled trial sponsored by American Council on Exercise (Green, 2019). Surprisingly, people who were doing 40 seconds of personalized intense exercise three times a week outperformed people who were jogging 30 minutes five times a week. CAR.O.L group received double the gains for a fraction of their time – they improved their cardio fitness by 78% blood pressure by 196% and blood sugar by 48% more than the jogging group (Green, 2019). These findings show Artificial Intelligence abilities to provide optimal exercise solution which maximizes the health benefits of exercise in the shortest time.
Personally, I enjoy exercising because I can do it with friends or while spending time in the nature, thus it is not as hard for me to convince myself to exercise. However, for people who do not enjoy exercising but would like to receive the health benefits and optimize their exercise regime, such AI application in the fitness realm can be an attractive solution.
References
Asprey, D. (2019). [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZJS8y0NjCk
CAR.O.L | Stationary Bike for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). (2019). Retrieved 12 October 2019, from https://carolfitai.com
Green, D. (2019). What Are the Acute and Chronic Responses to Reduced-exertion High-intensity Training?. Retrieved 12 October 2019, from https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/certified/may-2019/7267/ace-sponsored-research-what-are-the-acute-and-chronic-responses-to-reduced-exertion-high-intensity
Interesting post. It would be nice to see this thrive within that industry. Competitors as Peloton and Echelon have differentiated themselves through on-demand classes (which I think is a sustainable innovation). I am wondering whether CAR.O.L could disrupt the industry. Furthermore, I was wondering what the price strategy is for buying a CAR.O.L. Is it subscription-based or a one-time payment?
Thank you for the addition!
Actually, CAR.O.L Fit AI uses both pricing strategies. Thus, people both pay for the exercise bike and a monthly subscription fee for using the application. The exact numbers are still not commercially disclosed on their website.