TRAINING WITH! PHYSICLO RESISTANCE GEAR Testing & Validation
WHAT IS PHYSICLO? Physiclo is a novel type of compression pants with built-in resistance bands, designed to enhance training efficiency by increasing muscle engagement during workouts and training sessions. During movement, layers of elastics inside the garment become stretched and create resistance across that movement, pushing the body to work harder for the same amount of time and training volume. 1
TESTING Resistance Force Marathon Performance Heart Rate Muscle Activation SLIDES 3 4-8 9-15 16-21 2
SIMULATES 10 LBS OF RESISTANCE We used a digital force gauge attached at the knee to measure the amount of resistance generated by wearing Physiclo across a wide range of movements. Range of! Motion! Resistance Force! Resistance Torque! Flexion 120 10.0 Lbs 12.2 Nm Extension 30 7.7 Lbs 9.4 Nm Abduction 45 5.5 Lbs 6.7 Nm 3
MARATHON PERFORMANCE STUDY: On average, runners who trained with Physiclo shaved off more than 7 minutes and were more likely to achieve a new PR. 4
OBJECTIVE Quantify how 10 weeks of training with Physiclo impacts marathon & half-marathon finish time performance in distance runners. METHOD 37 experienced marathon & half-marathon runners (men & women, average age = 35) participated in the study. For 10 weeks, subjects trained either with or without Physiclo resistance gear, and they recorded the total time and distance trained on a daily basis. At the end of the 10 week period, subjects ran either a half or full marathon and compared their finish times to their previous PR. Subjects who met study criteria (e.g. previous finish times, training volume, and age) were matched into 4 groups: A. marathon runners training with Physiclo (8) B. marathon control group (7) C. half-marathon runners training with Physiclo (11) D. half-marathon control group (11) Groups A and C were instructed to wear the resistance pants during at least 3 workouts per week, while control groups B and D trained in regular workout clothing. After 10 weeks, all groups reported their new finish times, which was compared against their previous best finish times as an indicator of training effectiveness and improved performance. 5
REPORTED TRAINING METRICS On average, runners in groups A and C reported wearing Physiclo resistance pants for 3 workouts per week, or 64.5% of their total training time. The mean weekly training distance and running pace self-reported the four groups was (A) 28.64 miles at 9:41/mile pace (B) 33.72 miles at 9:01/mile pace (C) 19.37 miles at 10:50/mile pace (D) 21.23 miles at 10:14/mile pace RACE DAY RESULTS Groups A & C (runners who trained with Physiclo) 13 out of 19 (68.4%) ran new personal best finish times. On average, improved by 7 minutes and 53 seconds (P=0.015), or 4.2% faster than their previous best race times. Groups B & D (control; used regular compression gear) 9 out of 18 (50%) ran new personal best finish times. On average, finished 3 minutes and 43 seconds slower than previous best race times (P=0.23), or 1.5% slower. 6
TABLE: Finish time improvement for marathon and half-marathon runners after 10 weeks of training Group Runners training with Physiclo Subjects Previous Finish Time (hh:mm:ss) New Finish Time (hh:mm:ss) Improvement (mm:ss) Standard Deviation (mm:ss) Percent Improved P- value 19 total + 7:53 ± 12:49 + 4.2% 0.015 A Marathoners 8 4:21:23 4:14:30 + 6:53 ± 8:25 + 2.6% 0.051 C Runners (control) 11 2:09:16 2:00:38 + 8:38 ± 15:42 + 6.7% 0.098 18 total - 3:43 ± 12:39-1.5% 0.229 B Marathoners 7 4:08:17 4:14:34-6:17 ± 14:39-2.5% 0.300 D Halfmarathoners Halfmarathoners 11 2:05:38 2:07:44-2:06 ± 11:39-1.7% 0.056 7
Finish Time Improvement for 37 Marathon and Half-Marathon Runners, 95% Confidence Interval Finish Time Impreovement (minutes) 20 15 10 5 0-5 -10-15 -20 Physiclo Testers Control Group Marathoner Runners Half-Marathoner Runners CONCLUSION Runners who wore Physiclo resistance apparel for a significant proportion of their training saw a significant improvement in race performance and were more likely to achieve a new personal record. Additionally, runners who used Physiclo trained more efficiently, achieving better results despite training at lower weekly mileage and slower paces. 8
HEART RATE TESTING: Wearing Physiclo resistance gear increases exercise intensity, leading to higher heart rate and more calories burned 9
OBJECTIVE #1 Measure heart rate to determine the effects of wearing Physiclo on exercise intensity METHOD #1 8 healthy male subjects participated in the study. Subjects ran on treadmills at fixed speed, with and without wearing Physiclo. Heart rate was continuously monitored using pulse oximetry (Masimo ispo2 Pulse Oximeter), and the treadmill was set at 6 MPH and 2% incline. Protocol: 1. Sit for 5-10 minutes to reach resting heart rate 2. Wearing normal exercise pants (control), run on treadmill for 2 minutes, then walk for 1 minute to cool down 3. Repeat steps 1-2 4. Sit for 5-10 minutes to reach resting heart rate 5. Wearing Physiclo resistance shorts (experimental), run on treadmill for 2 minutes, then walk for 1 minute to cool down 6. Repeat steps 4-5 Number of calories burned was estimated using the following formula*: ((-55.0969 + (0.6309 x HR) + (0.1988 x W) + (0.2017 x A)) / 4.184) x 60 x T HR = Heart rate (in beats/minute), W = Weight (in kilograms), A = Age (in years), T = Exercise duration time (in hours) *Source: Keytel, L. R., et al. "Prediction of energy expenditure from heart rate monitoring during submaximal exercise." Journal of Sports Sciences 23.3 (2005): 289-297. 10
Wearing Physiclo Resistance Shorts Wearing Regular Compression Leggings 11
RESULTS #1 When wearing Physiclo resistance shorts compared to regular exercise pants, subjects exhibited higher mean and maximum heart rates, and greater caloric burn. Mean heart rate, averaged over the 2 minutes of running, increased by 8.5% Maximum heart rate during the 2 minutes of running increased by 6.8% Estimated calories burned during the 2 minutes of running increased by 11% Percent Increase In Heart Rate And Calories Burned When Wearing Physiclo Subject Increase in Mean HR (%) Increase in Max HR (%) Est. Increase in Calories Burned (%) 1 6.0 1.9 6.6 2 17 11 21 3 5.8 7.5 7.2 4 6.8 8.4 8.9 5 10 12 13 6 12 10 15 7 4.4 0.3 5.4 8 6.0 2.7 7.8 Mean 8.5 6.8 11 Standard Deviation ±4.2 ±4.5 ±5.4 12
OBJECTIVE #2 Compare the effect of wearing Physiclo to using dumbbells through a series of exercises to estimate the equivalent amount of weighted resistance METHOD #2 3 subjects performed a short series of exercises (1) with Physiclo, (2) with two 10-pound dumbbells, and (3) with just bodyweight (control). Heart rate was continuously monitored using pulse oximetry. Protocol: 1. 10 x squats 2. 10 x back lunges 3. 10 x front lunges 4. 10 x leg lifts 5. Rest 6. Repeat steps 1-4 with two 10-pound dumbbells (total 20 pounds) 7. Rest 8. Repeat steps 1-4 with only Physiclo (no dumbbells) 13
RESULTS #2 Compared to control, mean and max heart rate while using the dumbbells (20 Lbs) was 15% and 15.5%, respectively Compared to control, mean and max heart rate with Physiclo increased by 7.3% and 8.2%, respectively. 200 GRAPH OF HEART RATE DURING EXERCISE CIRCUIT Control_Avg Bands_Avg 20lbs_Avg 180 HEART RATE (BPM) 160 140 120 100 80 60 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 TIME (SECONDS) 14
CONCLUSIONS For treadmill running at constant speed (6 MPH), wearing Physiclo increased average heart rate by 8.5% and enhanced caloric burn by 11% compared to regular exercise pants. The increased heart rate and caloric burn indicate that the extra resistance creates higher exercise intensity, helping the wearer increase the amount of work done in a given amount of time. Based on the relative increase in heart rate and exercise intensity compared to using dumbbells (20 Lbs), we estimate that wearing Physiclo simulates the effect of using approximately 10 Lbs of resistance 15
ELECTROMYOGRAPHY TESTING: The extra resistance from wearing Physiclo stimulates higher levels of muscle activity during exercise 16
OBJECTIVE Quantify the effects of wearing Physiclo on upper leg muscle activity during walking and running. METHOD 9 healthy male subjects were recruited for this study. Subjects were instructed to walk and run on treadmills at fixed speed and incline. Electrodes connected to wireless probes were placed on the rectus femoris (RF), approximately 4-5 in. above the patella, and on the short head of the biceps femoris (BF), approximately 4-5 in. above the popliteal fossa. Muscle activity was measured using a wireless surface electromyography system (BTS FREEEMG 300, BTS Bioengineering). Protocol: 1. Wearing normal exercise pants (control), walk on treadmill for 3 minutes at 3 MPH and 2% incline 2. Rest 3. Run on treadmill for 3 minutes at 6 MPH and 2% incline 4. Rest 5. Without removing the electrodes, change into a pair of Physiclo resistance shorts (experimental) and repeat steps 1-4 Continuous semg of the rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris (BF) was recorded, and the BTS EMG-Analyzer software (BTS Engineering) was used to process the raw signals. 17
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RESULTS When walking at 3 MPH: EMG signals from the quadriceps (RF) increased by 25.7% while wearing Physiclo EMG signals from the hamstrings (BF) increased by 57.4% while wearing Physiclo Subject Quadriceps (RF) and Hamstrings (BF) Activation During Walking (3 MPH) Control Physiclo Change RF Mean (µv) BF Mean (µv) RF Mean (µv) BF Mean (µv) RF BF 1 25.0 37.0 25.0 55.0 +0.00% +48.6% 2 22.0 39.0 24.0 71.0 +9.09% +82.1% 3 12.9 30.7 21.6 33.7 +67.4% +9.77% 4 22.9 34.9 22.8 54.5-0.43% +56.2% 5 11.4 32.5 24.0 52.5 +111% +61.5% 6 28.0 37.8 25.6 58.4-8.57% +54.5% 7 26.0 28.4 26.4 53.7 +1.54% +89.1% Mean Change % +25.7% +57.4% 19
RESULTS When running at 6 MPH: EMG signals from the quadriceps (RF) increased by 21.7% while wearing Physiclo EMG signals from the hamstrings (BF) increased by 20.4% while wearing Physiclo Subject Quadriceps (RF) and Hamstrings (BF) Activation During Running (6 MPH) Control Physiclo Change RF Mean (µv) BF Mean (µv) RF Mean (µv) BF Mean (µv) RF BF 1 100 95 101 92 +1.00% -3.17% 2 100 96 101 113 +1.00% +17.7% 3 97.7 98.1 105.4 125.2 +7.88% +27.6% 4 79.2 83.1 99.0 112.5 +25.0% +35.4% 5 69.3 76.3 98.2 92.5 +41.7% +21.2% 6 66.8 72.3 95.5 78.0 +43.0% +7.88% 7 75.3 73.8 88.4 102.0 +17.4% +38.2% 8 50.5 100.6 71.8 110.7 +42.2% +10.0% 9 56.6 88.0 65.7 113.5 +16.1% +29.0% Mean Change % +21.7% +20.4% 20
CONCLUSIONS There was an overall increase in muscle activity of the quadriceps and hamstrings when walking and running with Physiclo. When running with Physiclo, the increased activation of opposing muscle groups is relatively even. The higher increase in hamstring activation when using Physiclo for walking versus running may be due to differences in gait and muscle engagement patterns between walking and running. 21