Changes

Running Sensors

460 bytes added, 09:06, 15 August 2016
no edit summary
! Realtime<sup>3</sup>
! Carry Phone<sup>4</sup>
! Export<sup>13</sup>
! Symmetry
! [[Cadence]]
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| Summary
| Kinda<sup>6</sup>
| Yes
| Watch
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| Detailed
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| Yes
| Watch
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| Yes
| Yes
| Phone
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| Yes<sup>9</sup>
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| Phone
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| Detailed
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| [[LumoRun]]
| $80
| Testing (problems seen)
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| Watch/Phone
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| No?
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| Phone
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| Phone
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| Yes
| Phone/Watch
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| Yes
| Phone<sup>5</sup>
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| Detailed
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| Watch
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# This is a measure of the impact on the lower leg, which excludes the impact that the foot as absorbed.
# This is the rate of change of acceleration (AKA "Jerk") in three separate axis: up/down, side-to-side, and left/right.
# A sensor that doesn't allow for data export locks you into the vendor's tools.
=Garmin's Running Dynamics=
''Main Article: [[Running Dynamics]]''
''Main Article: [[RunScribe]]''
[[RunScribe]] is a small pair of [[Footpod]]'s that provide a wide variety of [[Foot Strike]] metrics. These include things like Impact G's, GCT, Braking G's, [[Pronation]], and more. I love the detailed metrics that are provided, and the insight into my running form, and possible imbalances. The main disadvantage with the RunScribe approach is that the data is not available during the run, and has to be analyzed afterward. RunScribe is rather more sophisticated than most Footpods as it not only has a 3-axis accelerometer, it also has a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis magnetometer allowing it to sense far more movement. You can read about my testing at [[RunScribe]].
[[File:RunScribe.jpg|none|thumb|500px|An overview of the data from RunScribe]]
=MilestonePod=
=TgForce=
The TgForce measures just one thing; the peak impact on your lower leg. While this is a far cry from the broad array of data gathered by devices like [[RunScribe]], TgForce may add some particularly valuable insight. Measuring the impact that the foot can be a little misleading as the movement of your ankle can absorb a significant portion of that shock, so knowing how much of the force is transmitted to your lower leg may give a much better insight into injuries. The impact that your lower leg (tibia) receives will be transmitted into your knee, so reducing that stress might be quite helpful. The companion app only runs on iOS devices, not android, which will limit the appeal for some, and unless you buy two devices, it will only measure one leg at a time. Even if you get two devices, it doesn't appear that the app readily supports this approach, unlike [[RunScribe]] that does a lot to provide side to side comparisons. That said, I really like to have real-time feedback, something that TgForce provides, either visually for use on a treadmill, or audibly outside. I've ordered a TgForce and I'll post the results soon.
=Lumo Body TechRun=''Main Article: [[Lumo Run]]'' Like many other devices, [[Lumo Run]] uses accelerometers to measure body movement, but uniquely (so far) Lumo places the accelerometers at the small of your back. This allows Lumo to not only detect [[Cadence]] and Vertical Oscillation, but also breaking and pelvic movement. The measurement of braking force is rather different from [[RunScribe]], as Lumo measures how much your overall body slows up with each stride, rather than measuring the deceleration of your foot in touch down. I believe that both approaches are important, and give valuable insight into possible biomechanical problems. In addition, Lumo will measure how much your hips (pelvis) will drop from side to side, and how much it rotates (twists). Lumo is not yet shipping, but the preliminary price is $80, which is fairly reasonable for this type of device. I really wish that Lumo would measure impact, as it would be great to know how much of the foot strike impact reaches the hips. I'm currently testing Lumo.
=Stryd=
Power meters have helped cyclists for a number of years, providing a valuable metric around how hard the cyclist is exercising. Stryd is attempting to provide a power meter for runners, which superficially sounds like a good idea. Certainly, there are many problems with using Heart Rate to determine training intensity, and measuring VO2 is only practical in a laboratory, so and a power meter could be a better option. However Stryd actually measures movement and then calculates power. The details are a little unclear, as their website does not explain their approach or a well, nor do they seem to be any validation studies that I could find. It seems that Stryd measures Vertical Oscillation, braking and side-to-side (lateral) movement to calculate power, though it also measures Heart Rate and Ground Contact Time. It's a chest strap system, an it seems a lot Garmin's [[Running Dynamics]]. It seems likely that you could perform similar calculations using the Garmin system, but I find myself unconvinced by the approach.
=Moov Now=
''Main Article: [[Moov Now]]''
 
Moov Now is the second generation of Moov activity monitors, and is a small ankle mounted pod. It supports various sports, including cycling, swimming, boxing, and general workout routines like crunches, plank, etc. The Moov Now will also act as a general purpose activity tracker, including sleep tracking. However, it's the running functionality that I'll focus on. The Moov Now uses ankle mounted accelerometers to give a number of metrics, including [[Cadence]], Impact (at the tibia), and "range of motion" which is how far your leg swings from the furthest forward to the furthest back. I don't see the range of motion as a particularly useful metric, as it gives no indication if you are Over striding or not. However, I like the idea of getting impact metrics on the tibia (lower leg), as I suspect this is more relevant than the impact measured at your foot. It seems to me that your foot could undergo massive deceleration as your forefoot touches down without necessarily generating a huge amount of stress on your ankle, and even less stress on your knee. Unlike most activity monitors, it uses a replaceable battery that should last months, which is really nice, especially if you're traveling. It's a shame the Moov Now needs to be linked to a smart phone to work, as it means taking your phone on the run. The Moov Now seems to be an interesting device given its price, especially if you are interested in the other sports that it supports. <jfs id="B01CX26IP8" noreferb="true"/>.
=RUNTEQ Zoi=