Patent ID: 8465397

Claim:
Method for guiding a person to a physiological cumulative state during a physical exercise that is proportional to a change in general homeostatic state achieved by exercising, the physical exercise having a duration, an intensity that may vary over the duration of the physical exercise and that at any given moment during the physical exercise has a value defined as a momentary intensity, a physiological target that is the physiological cumulative state of the person at the end of the physical exercise, and a performance parameter, that is one selected from a group consisting of distance, duration of the exercise, speed, power output of work, EPOC change, accumulated EPOC, energy consumption, energy consumed, oxygen consumption, total oxygen consumption, heart-rate level, TRIMP already accumulated, number of steps, work output as a function of speed and inclination of surface, and change in blood lactic acid concentration, the method comprising steps of: setting, at the start of the physical exercise, the physiological target, the performance parameter, and background data depicting the level of the person's performance ability; during the physical exercise at regular intervals: a) measuring by a sensor at least one quantity that is proportional to the momentary intensity and selected from a group consisting of heart rate, speed, pedalling power measured from pedals of a bicycle, % VO 2 max and rate of EPOC accumulation; b) calculating a present physiological cumulative state of the person and an estimate of the physiological cumulative state at the end of the physical exercise using said measured quantity and a cumulative value of exercise performed; and c) defining an intensity guidance range for the momentary intensity using the calculated values of the present physiological cumulative state and the estimate of the physiological cumulative state at the end of the physical exercise and a criterion for the lower limit of the expanded intensity guidance range such that, at the performance ability level of the person according to the background data, at each moment the physical exercise can still be performed to the end reaching the physiological target and the performance parameter, d) wherein the person is guided by means of feedback to keep the exercise intensity within the defined dynamic intensity guidance range.