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Promoting safety with Breath Alcohol Testing
Alcohol is often part of social events, whether it's hanging out with friends or celebrating special occasions. While these times can be fun, it's important to be responsible for yourself and others when it comes to drinking.
Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash
Alcohol is often part of social events, whether it's hanging out with friends or celebrating special occasions. While these times can be fun, it's important to be responsible for yourself and others when it comes to drinking. One handy way to encourage responsible drinking is by using breath analysis devices that checks your alcohol levels.
Understanding Breath Alcohol Testing
Various ways can be used to measure alcohol levels in the body, such as through urine, blood, and breath analysis. Unlike blood alcohol concentration, which uses per mille (‰) as a unit, breath alcohol concentration is measured in milligrams per liter of breathing air (MG/L).
After drinking alcohol, the substance gets into the bloodstream through the stomach lining. Some of this alcohol moves from the blood to the lungs and is then breathed out. By measuring the alcohol content in exhaled air, we can understand one's blood alcohol level.
How Breath Alcohol Tests Works
Wearable or diagnostic devices equipped with special electrochemical sensors can detect alcohol molecules in exhaled air. Users simply blow into the device's mouthpiece, allowing the device to analyze the alcohol content in the exhaled air. For optimal accuracy, it is recommended to exhale into the device for at least five seconds, ensuring that the air passed through the lungs is measured.
Importance of Alcohol Measuring Devices
Relying on the quantity of drinks consumed is an unreliable measure of intoxication due to variations in physiology, body weight, gender, body fat percentage, and alcohol tolerance. In situations where individuals may not realize the impact of alcohol on their behavior, employing a breath alcohol test becomes crucial.
This is especially important in preventing accidents, particularly those involving drunk individuals behind the wheel. Many countries have set limit values for permitted alcohol content in breath or blood for road traffic. Breath alcohol test devices offer a practical solution to minimize the risks associated with drunk driving.
Ensuring Accuracy in Breath Alcohol Testing
Accuracy in breath alcohol tests varies among manufacturers and brands. Factors such as temperature, general health, and other compounds in exhaled air may influence test results. Proper usage and consistent exhaled air volume also play an important role in obtaining reliable measurements.
Why use an alcohol measuring Device
Measuring intoxication solely based on the amount of alcohol consumed is an unreliable method. The impact of alcohol varies significantly due to differences in physiology, body weight, gender, body fat percentage, and individual alcohol tolerance.
People often underestimate how quickly alcohol affects their behavior when they're enjoying a drink. This lack of awareness can make it challenging to assess the negative impact on reaction time and the ability to perform simple tasks.
The situation turns dangerous when individuals, who may overestimate their capabilities, decide to drive under the influence of alcohol. Sadly, this has led to numerous car accidents worldwide, some of which have been fatal. To address this, many countries have established specific legal limits regulating permissible alcohol levels in breath or blood for road traffic.
To reduce tragic accidents, using breath alcohol test devices can be effective. Ideally, individuals under the influence of alcohol should avoid driving altogether. However, if judgment is impaired or someone wants to verify the impact of "just a glass of wine," a quick and simple breath test can provide clarity or serve as an educational tool. These convenient wearables, easy to carry in almost any bag, provide results in just a few seconds, helping individuals decide whether it's safe to drive or if they should hand over the car keys.
Innovation of VitaScale: measure breath alcohol concentration without a handheld at the wheel
To improve security for everyone involved in road traffic regarding alcohol abuse is very important to many people and companies. There are already further thought solutions in which, for example, the alcohol measuring device is linked to the car: the driver has to blow in the device before they wants to drive off, and the ignition lock is only solved if the breath alcohol concentration is below the permitted limit.
Unfortunately, devices like "alcolcocks," “autolocks”, or alcohol removal wires haven't gained popularity, possibly due to high costs and hygiene concerns. This is where VitaScale's contactless system comes in. Placing sensors in the steering wheel eliminates hygiene issues, as there's no need to blow into or touch anything. The measurement happens automatically when the driver gets into the seat and intends to start the car.
In the ongoing development of this system, it will be possible to measure breath alcohol levels while driving. If a signal indicates alcohol consumption during driving, it can alert the driver even before reaching the legal limit. If the driver continues to drive at high speeds without stopping, additional measures, such as prompting the driver to pull over or exit traffic, can be implemented.
The intelligent sensors and algorithms are not only capable of measuring breath alcohol levels but can also identify, based on exhaled air, whether the driver is in a healthy condition or experiencing a critical state like ketosis. This information is crucial for drivers, particularly those with diabetes, as hypoglycemia can significantly impair cognitive abilities. VitaScale's new "Alcolock" represents a substantial innovation for enhancing safety in road traffic.
Caution is better than forbearing: this is how you drink responsibly
To ensure the safety of yourself and others, it's advisable to handle the consumption of alcohol responsibly. It's best to completely abstain from alcohol when driving, during pregnancy, and at the workplace.
Consuming alcoholic drinks and food can lead to unpredictable side effects, especially when dealing with certain diseases, medications, or other drugs. To safeguard your health, the simple rule is: the less alcohol you consume, the better for you.
If you do choose to have a drink, be mindful of your surroundings and drink plenty of water between alcoholic beverages. It's best to avoid alcohol on an empty stomach and to consume it in safe environment.
Alcohol in the breath: Your breathing air reveals a lot about you
A breath alcohol test device allows for easy and quick measurement of a person's alcohol levels. These devices are especially valuable for personal use, providing a quick assessment of fitness for driving when uncertainties arise. For public safety on the roads, test systems directly connected to vehicles are a promising option. Future innovations, like VitaScale's contactless system, are likely to garner attention in the automotive industry.
Author: Lisa Schräder
Translation: Bruna Rocha
Photo by Braden Collum on Unsplash
The importance of breathing for athletes in terms of performance
Whether preparing for a triathlon, a weekly CrossFit session, or scaling the next peak, mastering the art of breathing can significantly enhance the performance of both professional and amateur athletes.
Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash
Whether preparing for a triathlon, a weekly CrossFit session, or scaling the next peak, mastering the art of breathing can significantly enhance the performance of both professional and amateur athletes. While breathing is a natural process, its frequency and pace are unique to each individual and can be influenced by various factors.
Fast and slow breathing - both can be effective
Breathing can be categorized into fast-paced (over 20 breaths per minute) and slow-paced (under 10 breaths per minute). Voluntarily engaging in slow breathing offers various health benefits, both physically and mentally. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, enabling the body to absorb more oxygen. Breathing exercises enhance cardiopulmonary and neuroendocrine functions, regulate the autonomic nervous system, reduce anxiety, depression, and stress, increase resilience, and lower blood pressure and heart rate.
Studies indicates that incorporating voluntary slow-paced breathing can enhance athletic performance by lowering heart rate and blood pressure, improving cardiovascular fitness and endurance. Beyond physical benefits, increased lung capacity contributes to better endurance and stamina. Additionally, a more balanced mental state, with reduced fear and stress, helps athletes better handle pressure, such as during competitions. The positive impact of slow breathing on the respiratory system can also alleviate conditions like asthma, ultimately boosting overall performance.
However, breathing too fast, also known as hyperventilation, can harm athletic performance. This can mean that muscles don't get enough oxygen, making the athlete tired more quickly with less endurance. When hyperventilation narrows blood vessels, it can lead to poorer coordination and balance due to reduced blood flow to the brain and organs. This can make it harder for athletes to perform complex movements, and it may also trigger feelings of fear or panic, making the athlete less resilient overall.
Using intentional and controlled breathing techniques, specifically rapid breathing, can have a positive impact. When done correctly, Voluntary Fast-Paced Breathing can enhance performance by boosting oxygen delivery to the muscles, improving abdominal muscle tone, improving reaction time, speed, and strength.
Improving your lung vitality and breathe more effectively!
Breathing – even if it happens automatically – should by no means, be underestimated or even neglected in sports. It is crucial for general health right from the start and can ensure better sporting performance (although not just in sports). Athletes who incorporate breathing before, during and after training can influence performance in a number of ways:
• Better oxygen supply
• Optimized release of carbon dioxide
• Regulation of heart rate
• Increased concentration
• ositive attitude
In order to be able to use breathing specifically and effectively in training and competitions, healthy lung vitality is required. And of course, this can be checked using a breathing gas analysis. To improve lung health, there are several ways to make positive adjustments. These include engaging in aerobic training, practicing targeted breathing exercises, adopting relaxation techniques, and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. Smoking, on the other hand, has an entirely detrimental effect on lung vitality, so it's advisable to avoid it altogether for optimal respiratory well-being.
Multi-layered and complex: How can I use breathing to improve performance without much effort?
Understanding the relationship between sports performance and breathing frequency is complex. For the average amateur athlete, delving into this topic in great detail may not be practical due to time and energy constraints. However, providing a one-size-fits-all training recommendation, including breathing techniques, isn't feasible since everyone's physical and psychological circumstances vary. Depending on the sport, personal condition, and training objectives, breathing needs to be adapted at different frequencies for optimal performance improvement.
Breathing control can be an interesting tool for improving performance not only for top athletes, but especially for amateur athletes who take part in competitions (marathon, triathlon, Crossfit, etc.). To benefit from this, it is not necessary to plunge into unnecessary costs or become an expert in breathing control.
For example, VitaScale offers two high-tech wearables (vitashape and vitapace- the second to be launched in the market soon. Stay tunned!) that can measure breathing frequency, stress level, lung vitality and much more, using easy-to-perform breathing gas analysis. The associated app also provides personal results and, in the future, suggestions for training optimization. This makes it much easier to integrate breathing correctly and beneficially into sports units and preparation.
Author: Lisa Schräder
Translation: Bruna Rocha
Quellen:
Ford J.L., Ildefonso K., Jones M.L. & Arvinen-Barrow M.: Sport-related anxiety, current insights (2017), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5667788/ (Stand: 22.11.2023).
Karsten M., Ribeiro G.S., Esquivel M.S. & Matte D.L.: The effects of inspiratory muscle training with linear workload devices on the sports performance and cardiopulmonary function of athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis (November 2018), URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1466853X18301652 (Stand: 22.11.2023).
Laborde S., Allen M.S., Borges U. & Dosseville F., et al: Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability, A systematic review and a meta-analysis (Juli 2022), URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35623448/ (Stand: 22.11.2023).
Laborde S., Iskra M., Zammit N. & Borges U., et al: Slow-Paced Breathing, Influence of Inhalation/Exhalation Ratio and of Respiratory Pauses on Cardiac Vagal Activity (12. Juli 2021), URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/14/7775 (Stand: 22.11.2023)
Migliaccio G.M., Russo L., Maric M. & Padulo J.: Sports Performance and Breathing Rate: What Is the Connection? A Narrative Review on Breathing Strategies (Mai 2023), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10224217/ (Stand: 22.11.2023).
Migliaccio G.M., Di Filippo G., Russo L. & Orgiana T., et al: Effects of Mental Fatigue on Reaction Time in Sportsmen (November 2022), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9656150/ (Stand: 22.11.2023).
Seals D.R., Suwarno N.O. & Dempsey J.A.: Influence of Lung Volume on Sympathetic Nerve Discharge in Normal Humans (1. Juli 1990), URL: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epdf/10.1161/01.RES.67.1.130 (Stand: 22.11.2023).
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Type 2 diabetes and exercises
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, 7.2 percent of adults in Germany (aged 18 to 79) have diabetes mellitus. The majority, about 90 to 95 percent, experience the non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes.
Picture by: Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, 7.2 percent of adults in Germany (aged 18 to 79) have diabetes mellitus. The majority, about 90 to 95 percent, experience the non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes. This condition, commonly known as diabetes, brings significant daily challenges for millions of people, making their lives tougher and increasing the risk of other serious illnesses. Both for preventing this chronic metabolic disease and for acute treatment, engaging in exercise and sports can be beneficial.
What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
In both cases, the body has a problem with the hormone insulin. This substance is needed to transport sugar from the blood into the cells or liver. If this process does not work properly, the blood sugar level in the blood will rises steadily.
While the body cannot produce insulin at all in diabetes type 1, in type 2 the pancreas produces too slowly and too little amounts of insulin or the insulin produced no longer works properly in the cells. Type 1 diabetes comes on suddenly with no prevention, and it requires insulin treatment. In contrast, Type 2 diabetes develops gradually but can be avoided with a healthy lifestyle. Managing mild cases involves exercise, improved nutrition, and weight loss, while more severe cases may need medication.
Type 2 diabetes was traditionally labeled as adult-onset diabetes because it primarily affected older individuals. However, it is increasingly prevalent among adolescents nowadays. This shift is partly attributed to the sedentary lifestyles prevalent in modern society.
Why are physical activities important during the type 2 diabetes treatment?
Exercises, especially in the aerobic range, supports the treatment of type 2 diabetes in different ways:
• Reduction in body weight
• Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivities are improved
• Reduction of HbA1c levels
• Cardiorespiratory system is improved
• Risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced
Studies have shown that aerobic training in the form of walking, for example, brought significant health benefits to type 2 diabetes patients after just two years. Other appropriate sports include jogging, low-intensity swimming and cycling. Since physical activity is an effective and cost-saving treatment tool, it also reduces the burden on the healthcare system.
Regular monitoring of individual health data
Since type 2 diabetes usually begins gradually, regular monitoring of personal health data is recommended. In this way the disease can be detected early. If you already have type 2 diabetes, whilst having a healthier lifestyle, constant adjustment of your individual treatment is important.
It's best to regularly review and adjust changes in your diet and exercise based on your individual metabolic profile. Our compromise is to continuously improve our devices, using non-invasive breath gas analysis to measure real-time health data. This helps in early diagnosis and prevention, aiming to prevent and combat diseases effectively.
Author: Lisa Schräder
Translation: Bruna Rocha
Source:
Bundesministerium für Gesundheit: Diabetes mellitus Typ 1 und Typ 2, URL: https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/themen/praevention/gesundheitsgefahren/diabetes#:~:text=In%20Deutschland%20ist%20bei%20circa,Stellschrauben%20zur%20Bek%C3%A4mpfung%20von%20Diabetes (Stand: 18.12.2023).
Cannata F., Vadalá G., Russo F., Rocco P. et al: Beneficial Effects of Physical Activity in Diabetic Patients (2020), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7739324/ (Stand: 18.12.2023).
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Efficient Fat Burning for a good and sustainable weight loss
Are you interested in sustainable weight loss and maintaining your desired weight for the long term? To accomplish this, it's crucial to comprehend the body's central energy sources and their combustion processes.
Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash
Are you interested in sustainable weight loss and maintaining your desired weight for the long term? To accomplish this, it's crucial to comprehend the body's central energy sources and their combustion processes. Our body derives energy not only from stored fat but also from available carbohydrates. These processes can be effectively managed through a combination of training and nutrition. The timing of our body's utilization of specific energy sources depends on the intensity and duration of physical activity and can be influenced by specialized diets.
Quick carbohydrate combustion during intensive exercise
Carbohydrates are stored in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles, providing a rapid and efficient energy source. During intense physical exertion, the body primarily utilizes existing carbohydrates as an energy source. The combustion of carbohydrates is triggered by short, intensive activities, such as heavy strength training or sprints during the mass phase.
Fat Burning occurs after high endurance physical activities
Fat acts as an energy reserve for the body and is stored as fatty acids. When carbohydrate stores are depleted, the body turns to its fat reserves—but this process takes time. Depending on individual factors and the type of training, fat burning typically begins after about 30 to 60 minutes of sustained physical activity, such as long-distance cycling, marathon runs, demanding hikes, or persistent rowing.
Adopting competitive sports as an alternative method for success
In competitive sports, understanding combustion processes is fundamental to training and nutritional optimization. Valuable insights can be gained for successful weight management. Many athletes train for "metabolic flexibility," enabling the body to efficiently switch between carbohydrate and fat combustion, thereby enhancing endurance performance.
To specifically optimize fat burning, strategies include incorporating longer, aerobic training sessions, varying training types, and making regular adjustments to nutrition. These adjustments are highly individualized, with some athletes achieving success through a well-mixed macronutrient approach, while others thrive on high-fat or carbohydrate diets. These preferences may also change in different phases, such as during a woman's menstrual cycle. Regularly monitoring fat burning provides a significant advantage in achieving optimal results.
How Can Fat Burning Be Measured?
Due to the influence of individual factors on fat burning, it's challenging to calculate or provide precise information through formulas or methods applicable to the general public. Everybody responds differently to training and nutrition. Regularly measuring fat burning is a highly effective tool for successful weight loss, improved performance, and overall well-being.
Traditionally, precise measurement of fat and carbohydrate combustion was nearly impractical for everyday use, leading to reliance on less accurate methods such as observing changes in body fat percentage and monitoring heart rate during training. However, VitaScale and its advanced wearables, vitashape and vitapace, imprecise data is a thing of the past. These affordable high-tech devices offer the best price-performance ratio, performance, and accessibility.
Through easily achievable breathing gas analysis, our wearables provide essential health data, allowing for the most accurate determination of fat burning to date. The associated app utilizes individual data to create a personalized nutrition plan (and an optimized training plan in the future).
Achieve faster and sustainable weight loss results with VitaScale
The body's mechanisms for energy generation are complex, but carbohydrate and fat burning processes play a crucial role in weight management. Whether you're aiming to reduce your weight or help your clients achieve sustainable weight loss, it's essential to understand and address these body processes. To simplify the measurement of fat burning, we developed cutting-edge high-tech wearables.
Author: Lisa Schräder
Translation: Bruna Rocha
Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash
Keto Diet and Breath Analysis – the dream team for successful weight management?
By cutting carbs and increasing fat intake, the Keto diet aims to be a successful weight-loss strategy. When applied correctly, it helps preserve muscles, and when combined with exercise at the right intensity, performance can improve.
Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash
By cutting carbs and increasing fat intake, the Keto diet aims to be a successful weight-loss strategy. When applied correctly, it helps preserve muscles, and when combined with exercise at the right intensity, performance can improve. To ensure health is not overlooked, it's crucial to regularly check health parameters. This is where breath analysis proves highly beneficial.
Weight Control through Ketosis
Our body has different ways to meet its energy needs. It's like a car with both a gas and petrol engine: you'd first use gas as it's more cost-effective than petrol. When the gas tank is empty, the car automatically switches to petrol.
In the body, gas combustion corresponds to carbohydrate burning because glucose is its simplest and fastest energy source. When the glycogen store (gas tank) is empty, the body enters ketosis: stored fat is converted into free fatty acids, which are then turned into ketones (petrol) in the liver.
The faster and more frequently the body generates energy through fat burning, the quicker fat reserves are depleted. This can be achieved through intense, endurance-based workouts and/or dietary control. If the body doesn't receive glucose from carbs or sugar in the diet, it has no choice but to access consumed fat and fat reserves..
Keto Diet: Basics and Origin
To induce ketosis, the ketogenic diet drastically reduces carb intake while increasing the share of fats in the diet. The exact composition of macronutrients depends on various factors, including:
• Body weight
• Health status
• Activity level: How much exercise/sport is integrated into your daily life?
• Goal: How much weight do you want to lose?
A rough guideline is a nutrient distribution of 70% healthy fat, 20% protein, and a maximum of 10% carbs. Reducing glucose production through carb and protein burning triggers a shift in energy metabolism. Only when glucose is lacking or depleted does the body produce ketones through fat burning. There are various approaches regarding portion size, meal timing, and frequency.
In 1911, the ketogenic diet was initially used as a therapy for children with epilepsy, providing a healthier alternative to fasting. Both methods reduced epileptic seizures, but the ketogenic diet ensured adequate nutrient supply. Today, epilepsy is treated with antiepileptic drugs, while the ketogenic diet gains popularity as a weight control method.
Measuring Ketone Levels with Breath Gas Analysis
Ketones can be measured in blood or through acetone in exhaled breath. The measured ketone values determine the degree of ketosis, allowing for individualized dietary and training optimization. Before breath gas analysis could measure ketone levels, they were determined through blood samples. Thanks to the improvement in non-invasive alternatives with accurate acetone sensors, this method is gaining more popularity. Exhaled breath analysis also excites with the following criteria:
• Precise measurements
• Regular adjustment of carb intake possible
• Avoids overtraining through individualized training optimization
The precise data can determine if the body is in fat-burning mode. As each body reacts differently to carbs, continuous measurement allows for individual adjustments, ensuring an optimal balance of ketosis and performance.
Moreover, proper breath gas analysis enables a general assessment of metabolism, optimizing training ideally. This reduces the risk of overtraining, which can be restrictive to ketosis. In terms of weight management, regular monitoring of metabolic performance with associated adjustments in diet and training provides synergistic benefits.
VitaScale Breath Gas Analysis: Customizing the Keto Diet
The combination of the Keto diet and breath analysis offers promising perspectives for sustainable weight reduction or healthy weight management. With precise values indicating the metabolic status, the ketogenic diet can be tailored to the individual needs of each person. Therefore, this interplay can indeed be a potential dream team for those aiming for successful weight loss. However, professional guidance should not be skipped before starting the diet.
VitaScale is already developed a practical handheld device with specialized sensors, measuring acetone in exhaled breath precisely in real-time, among other features. The associated app not only displays the data but also provides suggestions for adjusting nutrition and training plans based on individual health data.
Author: Lisa Schräder
Translation: Bruna Rocha
Source:
Alkedeh O. &, Priefer R.: The Ketogenic Diet: Breath Acetone Sensing Technology (2021), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7835940/ (Stand: 18.01.2024).
Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash
Exercise and weight management aligned with menstrual cycle
If you menstruate, you can use your hormonal changes to benefit your sports and weight management. The different phases of your menstrual cycle may help explain why some days you don't feel like exercising, while other days you have a lot of energy.
Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash
If you menstruate, you can use your hormonal changes to benefit your sports and weight management. The different phases of your menstrual cycle may help explain why some days you don't feel like exercising, while other days you have a lot of energy. Hormonal ups and downs during the cycle can affect your physical performance and weight. Many believe that adjusting your training to match your menstrual cycle can make it more effective and safer.
Understanding the Menstrual Cycle:
The menstrual cycle is a natural and crucial process in the life of a woman or menstruating individual. The uterine lining undergoes changes, an egg matures, and other alterations are finely regulated through the hormonal cycle. It begins with the first day of menstruation and ends the day before the next menstruation. The duration varies, typically ranging from 25 to 35 days. The female cycle can be divided into the following phases:
• 1. First half or Menstrual Phase::
- Uterine lining sheds, causing bleeding; "softer" ligaments.
• 2. Follicular Phase:
- Egg production; initially low levels of estrogen and progesterone; basal temperature lower than in the second half.
• 3. Ovulation Phase:
- FSH and LH rise; anabolic metabolic situation; estrogen decreases; increased energy.
• 4. Luteal or Corpus Luteum Phase:
- Rising progesterone, falling estrogen; higher body temperature; decreased energy; hormone levels drop without fertilization.
Effects of the cycle on mood, metabolism, energy levels, etc., vary from person to person.
Menstrual Phase
During this phase, due to a lack of progesterone (corpus luteum hormone), the endometrium (uterine lining) detaches and is expelled through uterine contractions – resulting in bleeding.
Follicular Phase
FSH stimulates the growth of several follicles in the ovaries – each containing an egg – with only one usually maturing. Meanwhile, estrogen levels rise, contributing to the rebuilding of the endometrium.
Ovulation Phase
Just before ovulation, estrogen peaks. During ovulation, estrogen decreases, while FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) rapidly rise. Body temperature also increases. If the released egg is not fertilized within 24 hours, it dies.
Luteal Phase
FSH and LH decrease. The follicle's shell forms the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone. This prepares the endometrium for the implantation of a fertilized egg. Meanwhile, estrogen increases. If no fertilized egg implants, the corpus luteum regresses, and progesterone and estrogen levels drop – initiating a new cycle.
These phases are individualized for each menstruating person. A menstrual calendar or cycle app helps understand one's own body. However, hormonal contraceptives, like the pill, disrupt the natural cycle.
Hormones & Performance: Adapting your training to the cycle
Due to the highly individual nature of the menstrual cycle and the absence of clear scientific data, providing a definitive recommendation for cycle-based training is challenging. Nevertheless, understanding one's natural menstrual cycle is generally beneficial. Coaches can incorporate the cycle and its symptoms into training and weight management for their clients.
Furthermore, the psyche significantly influences performance and adherence to dietary changes. In this regard, a simple metabolic test can be supportive. Through a non-invasive breath gas analysis (e.g., with vitashape from VitaScale), metabolism can be quickly and effortlessly measured, representing the body's current state across various health parameters.
Author: Lisa Schräder
Translation: Bruna Rocha
Source:
Armour M., Parry K.A., Steel K. & Smith C.A.: Australian female athlete perceptions of the challenges associated with training and competing when menstrual symptoms are present (2020), URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1747954120916073?journalCode=spoa#:~:text=Period%20pain%20(82%25)%20and,reported%20by%2042%25%20of%20athletes (Stand: 20.01.2024).
Balchandar V., Marciniak J., Wall O. & Balchandar C.: Effects of the menstrual cycle on lower-limb biomechanics, neuromuscular control, and anterior cruciate ligament injury risk: a systematic review (2017), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5505581/ (Stand: 20.01.2024).
Bruinvels G., Goldsmith E., Blagrove R., Simpkin A. et al: Prevalence and frequency of menstrual cycle symptoms are associated with availability to train and compete: a study of 6812 exercising women recruited using the Strava exercise app (2021), URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33199360/ (Stand: 20.01.2024).
Constantini N.W., Dubnov G. & Lebrun C.M.: The menstrual cycle and sport performance (2005), URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15892917/ (Stand: 20.01.2024).
Lebrun C.M.: Effect of the different phases of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptives on athletic performance (1993), URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-199316060-00005 (Stand: 20.01.2024).
Lebrun C.M., McKenzie D.C., Prior J.C. & Taunton J.E.: Effects of menstrual cycle phase on athletic performance (1995), URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7752873/ (Stand: 20.01.2024).
Platen P., Han A. & Soog E.: Menstruationszyklus-gesteuertes Krafttraining, Makroskopische Adaptationen an Krafttraining in Abhängigkeit vom hormonellen Milieu (2008/09), URL: https://www.bisp.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/Publikationen/Jahrbuch/Jb_200809_Artikel/Platen_33.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1 (Stand: 20.01.2024).
Redaktionsteam der Monks Ärzte-im-Netz GmbH mit Dr. Scharrel D.: Weiblicher Zyklus – wann sind die fruchtbaren Tage? (2018), URL: https://www.frauenaerzte-im-netz.de/familienplanung-verhuetung/natuerliche-familienplanung/weiblicher-zyklus-wann-sind-die-fruchtbaren-tage/ (Stand: 20.01.2024).
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Metabolic syndrome – a widespread health problem
Metabolic syndrome is a disease caused by various metabolic disorders. This combo of issues significantly ups the odds of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and strokes.
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
Metabolic syndrome is a disease caused by various metabolic disorders. This combo of issues significantly ups the odds of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and strokes. Unfortunately, our modern lifestyles, with their off-kilter diets and lack of exercise, have made metabolic syndrome is no longer uncommon.
It is important to recognize early warning signs and address them using innovative methods. A promising approach to support is breathing gas analysis. It can be used to detect metabolic disorders at an early stage, which means that it can have a preventive effect against metabolic syndrome.
What is metabolic syndrome?
If a set of symptoms or illnesses crops up simultaneously, you're dealing with what's known as metabolic syndrome. These symptoms include, but are not limited to:
• Obesity (overweight)
• Arterial hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (lipid metabolism disorder)
• Glucose metabolism disorder or type 2 diabetes
The presence of metabolic syndrome is assessed by evaluating HDL cholesterol, triglyceride levels, fasting blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and waist circumference. If three or more of these health indicators deviate from the normal range or necessitate medication for regulation, it signals the presence of metabolic syndrome. It's crucial to note that even if just one of these symptoms occurs in isolation, there is an elevated risk of serious illnesses.
Insufficient physical activity, alcohol consumption, stress, and smoking significantly contribute to the emergence of metabolic syndrome, also named as "affluence syndrome." These factors are also key culprits behind the growing incidence of metabolic syndrome among children and young individuals.
Obesity and other causes of metabolic syndrome
Obesity is significantly associated with metabolic syndrome, as individuals with excess weight face an elevated risk of heightened blood lipid levels, elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure. The majority of those afflicted by metabolic syndrome are found to be obese.
These individuals experience severe abdominal obesity, posing a threat to their well-being. The specific waist circumference at which this health risk arises can vary from person to person. Rather than conforming to the unhealthy standards perpetuated by the beauty industry, it is advisable to seek personalized clarification from a qualified specialist.
Other causes can include a lack of exercise and stress over a long period of time, too much food containing cholesterol and fat, excessive consumption of table salt and alcohol, smoking, certain previous illnesses and medication and hormone treatments.
Eating too much and not being active enough can make your blood sugar levels go too high. When this happens often, your body needs more insulin to bring the sugar levels down. If your body gets used to having a lot of insulin around, it might need even more over time. This can lead to a condition called insulin resistance.
Prevention and treatment options for metabolic syndrome
Preventing metabolic syndrome involves reducing risk factors, often requiring a lifestyle change. Regular check-ups with traditional methods like blood tests and blood pressure measurements help with early detection, but they can be inconvenient. A more comfortable diagnostic tool is breath gas analysis.
As a result of the body's metabolic process, various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are present in exhaled air, revealing metabolic activity. People with insulin resistance or obesity show specific patterns of these VOCs. Breath analysis devices utilize these patterns to detect early metabolic changes, enabling timely intervention to prevent metabolic syndrome. This method is simple, quick, and non-invasive, eliminating the need for laboratory or specialized personnel to obtain results.
Our company is dedicated to creating advanced breath analysis devices with high sensitivity and precision. In the near future, these high-tech wearables will play a crucial role in transforming the way we diagnose and prevent metabolic syndrome.
Individuals already dealing with metabolic syndrome are primarily addressed through the reduction of underlying causes:
• Weight loss
• More physical activities
• Less saturated fatty acids, more fiber consumption
• Avoiding alcohol etc.
This is intended to bring the metabolism back into balance - if this is not enough, medications can be indicated to help on the treatment.
Regular breath analysis can assist in implementing the intervention plan. Our app (in connection with our device) does not only presents current health data in an easily understandable format but also generates personalized nutrition and training plans, simplifying the implementation of these measures.
Recognizing metabolic syndrome and reducing health risks
Metabolic syndrome is a widespread health risk that is particularly aggravated by modern lifestyles. In order to combat this and improve the general health of society, you will find innovative, modern methods that can be easily incorporated into everyday life. Awareness of this disease needs to be raised and appropriate prevention measures promoted. Our purpose is to bring a new way to help our world to be bit healthier.
Author: Lisa Schräder
Translation: Bruna Rocha
Unlocking promising opportunities through understanding breath composition
Non-invasive, straightforward, seamlessly integrated into daily life, and swift – online breath gas analysis presents numerous advantages, making it particularly intriguing for clinical applications.
Non-invasive, straightforward, seamlessly integrated into daily life, and swift – online breath gas analysis presents numerous advantages, making it particularly intriguing for clinical applications. Its potential is far from fully tapped, attracting increasing attention from both the scientific community and entrepreneurs. The review titled 'On-Line Analysis of Exhaled Breath' by Tobias Bruderer and Thomas Gaisl et al in 2019 provides a comprehensive insight into the benefits and possibilities of this promising non-invasive measurement method.
What is online breath analysis?
Online breath analysis involves real-time analysis of a person's exhaled breath. In contrast to offline analysis, where samples are taken and examined later, the term 'online' signifies that breath analysis occurs in real-time during exhalation.
Exhaled breath contains numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are gaseous molecules providing valuable information about respiratory and overall health. Technical devices like SIFT mass spectrometry, PTR-MS, electronic noses, and chemical sensors can capture and analyze VOCs in exhaled breath.
Handheld devices with sensors are already in development, aiming to significantly simplify disease diagnostics in the near future. In addition to medical diagnosis and monitoring, this technology can also be utilized for assessing indoor air quality and detecting environmental pollution.
Advantages of online breath analysis
Innovative and full of potential, online breath analysis can be applied in various fields due to its numerous advantages. Some key features include:
• Non-invasive
• Real-time results
• User-friendly
• Detects a wide range of substances
• Swift, direct outcomes
• Cost-effective options in development
• Discovery of new biomarkers
Users simply exhale – no samples are taken with needles – eliminating any discomfort during the analysis and increasing method acceptance. When combined with the straightforward application of certain systems, metabolic health, medication effectiveness, and disease progression can be regularly monitored without extended breaks.
Moreover, online breath analysis provides real-time data, allowing professionals to quickly access health information, leading to prompt diagnosis and treatment. Treatment plans can then be tailored more efficiently to individual patients.
A closer look: What are VOCs?
During exhalation, various volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon-containing gaseous molecules, exit our lungs. They can be categorized into three types based on their origin:
• Endogenous VOCs: from the respiratory tract
• Systemic VOCs: crossing the blood-air barrier
• Exogenous VOCs: inhaled from the environment and exhaled unchanged
The medical focus is primarily on endogenous variants and those originating from the gastrointestinal tract. Typically, the end-expiratory phase of exhalation is examined because VOC concentration is highest during this phase.
Endogenous VOCs are continually emitted, but the establishment of a phase equilibrium on both sides of the blood-air barrier depends on various factors, such as fat solubility and volatility. This leads to unique diffusion patterns for different molecule classes during this process. Certain VOCs have been found to have concentrations in exhaled breath directly proportional to their concentration in blood or urine. Researchers can identify specific VOC patterns in exhaled breath for early disease detection.
Breath-based technologies: Measuring VOCs in breath
Various technologies, including SIFT, SESI, and PTR mass spectrometry, as well as optical spectroscopic methods, exist for breath analysis. Particularly interesting are chemical sensors or sensors arrays due to their lower sensitivity, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. Their small size allows easy integration into small, portable devices.
Currently, there are no handhelds fully approved for disease diagnostics. However, some companies (e.g., VitaScale) are rapidly advancing the development of breath gas analysis using handhelds with specialized sensors.
Informative and Promising: The composition of exhaled breath
Several studies already show changes in the components of exhaled breath during sleep, physical exertion, and illness. Understanding the physiological composition of breath allows the identification and interpretation of deviations from the norm. With a wide range of metabolic products already detected in exhaled breath and the sensitivity and selectivity in distinguishing specific VOCs, online breath gas analysis offers a new perspective on metabolism and new possibilities for disease diagnostics.
A proper breath analysis with correct interpretation of measurement data provides the opportunity to diagnose infections and diseases – especially respiratory conditions like asthma and pneumonia, as well as diabetes – at an early stage. Additionally, this makes it easier to monitor chronic diseases, with treatment plans easily and quickly tailored to individual situations and conditions.
Swift Action with Real-time Data
With online breath analysis, healthcare professionals have the results of their patients at their fingertips. Precise real-time data allows for swift action, and the simple application of certain systems permits regular measurements at short intervals. Already, there are handhelds (e.g., vitashape from VitaScale) reliably and accurately measuring certain metabolic or health data through the non-invasive method. Once enough validation studies with sufficient sample sizes have been successfully conducted, it is conceivable that tests using blood and urine samples may take a back seat to breath-based technologies.
Author: Lisa Schräder
Translation: Bruna Rocha
Source:
Bruderer T., Gaisl T., Gaugg M.T. et al: On-Line Analysis of Exhaled Breath, Focus Review (2019), URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31594311/ (Stand: 16.01.2024).
When the vision becomes a mission
With VitaScale, my goal is to help people lead healthier lives, focusing on addressing the issue of obesity. The rise of diseases like type 2 diabetes due to unhealthy diet and inactivity in our society motivates me.
With VitaScale, my goal is to help people lead healthier lives, focusing on addressing the issue of obesity. The rise of diseases like type 2 diabetes due to unhealthy diet and inactivity in our society motivates me. Discover why advancing VitaScale is crucial to me and how it can positively impact the lives of many.
The problem of a modern lifestyle, but technology with great potential
Losing excess weight is an uphill battle for many. requiring discipline to avoid unhealthy habits and overeating. In combination with a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, it is an invitation for the body to equip itself with extra fat deposits. However, if we don't need this - as is normal today - it has a negative impact on our general health. A disease that can result from this is, for example, type 2 diabetes. (Please do not confuse this with type 1 diabetes, as the cause is usually genetic.)
We need everyday methods that offer ongoing and motivating support for maintaining or reaching a healthy weight. Innovative tools are needed to make the concept of "healthy nutrition" more understandable and practical for those dealing with this issue.
The potential of smart technology in this area hasn't been fulfilled yet and I believe there's a significant opportunity to assist overweight individuals, protect them from type 2 diabetes, and enhance their lives—ultimately preventing them from becoming overweight in the first place.
That's why I‘ve created an everyday wearable with special sensors to measure accurate health data in real time. Paired with an app that interprets the data clearly, provides nutritional tips, and generates complete meal plans, individuals can effortlessly enhance their nutritional awareness and put it into practice more seamlessly. I strongly believe that improved awareness, coupled with straightforward implementation guidance, can effectively prevent diseases linked to obesity.
For sustainable success, replace myths with facts
In order to lose weight, it is very important to understand that nutrition is the biggest lever. Yes, sufficient exercise should not be neglected, but roughly speaking, diet determines about 80% of the success in the weight loss process, while sport plays a much smaller part. There's little point in doing an hour of exercise every day if your calorie balance isn't right. In the worst case, the motivation to move decreases due to the lack of success. Assessing weight purely by measuring body weight using a scale is also an outdated method since it has long been known that muscle mass is heavier than fat and bringing these understandings into people's minds is a personal concern of mine.
Changing your diet is really difficult to implement due to modern circumstances (sugar traps, sugar addiction, oversupply, etc.). Most diets promise lasting results but are only temporary. Many of those affected have already been on a number of diets and are disappointed by the yo-yo effect that usually sets in and are less motivated to change.
That's why I don't just want to use my system to show whether protein or carbohydrates should be eaten and how much exercise makes sense, but I also want to take people by the hand and accompany them in the long term. We work with motivational boosts at the right time and help you get through the critical phase of a change in diet.
Questions that are important for understanding during your weight loss phase:
• What is metabolism and how does it work?
• How does my fat and carbohydrate burn work?
• What am I actually burning?
• How do I personally eat healthily?
• What exactly do I have to do to lose weight in the long term?
• How do I have to eat, and which foods provide me with the important substances?
• What dishes are there and how do I actually prepare the dishes?
• What happens to my body if I measurably implement the recommendations?
Not all bodies works in the same way. It's about finding tools that support the individual in properly understanding nutrition and their own body. It's not about average values: your own individual health data must be measured regularly, offering a tailored weight loss experience.
Recommendations for nutritional adjustments and training optimizations are created on an ideal basis and are perfectly tailored to the individual.
Motivation for my vision: First results will lead the way
The entire system can have a lasting preventive effect against diseases. Especially for people with type 2 diabetes, I see the possibility of improving life by reducing the amount of insulin required and preventing insulin resistance. This vision keeps me working on the development of my high-tech wearables and the associated app. An example from a test person clearly shows that weight management with vitashape works and that we are successful with it: With the help of our method, she was able to lose 20 kg within four months from an initial weight of 120 kg. Such cases in the test phase are particularly motivating to continue pursuing my goal of helping people live healthier lives in the long term.
Author: Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Jerichow
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
Exploiting the patterns of VOCs in exhaled air: improving disease prevention and diagnosis
It's amazing what our breath says about our health. In particular, the exhaled air, which contains volatile organic compounds or VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), can reveal a lot about your general health.
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
It's amazing what our breath says about our health. In particular, the exhaled air, which contains volatile organic compounds or VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), can reveal a lot about your general health. Depending on how metabolism and other bodily functions or certain organ’s functions, the composition of the exhaled air changes.
To illustrate this more clearly, think of our bodies like a car engine. We breathe in air, process it to keep things running, and then breathe out what's left, like a car releasing exhaust gases. Roughly speaking, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are just some of the waste products of metabolism.
Overall, we breathe an average of 20,000 times a day and there is a lot of information in these 20,000 daily breathing rhythms. With every breath, around 3,000 different VOCs are exhaled in different concentrations and variations, such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide and acetone. Scientifically speaking, the VOC profiles of healthy subjects are compared with the VOC profiles of people with certain diagnosed diseases. Correlated, VOC profiles were found to be similar in certain populations.
And surprisingly, there’s no big news there.
If you look back into the history of disease diagnosis, you will find records of how doctors in ancient Greece recognized certain diseases by the smell of exhaled air. In addition, Pauling and Robinson et al presented a method in their 1971 study that enables the quantitative determination of 250 substances in a breath sample. Nevertheless, to date the potential of breathing gas analysis has not yet been exploited in the slightest from a technical point of view.
Now image a e-nose that “sniffs out” diseases early on. That’s the main subject of our studies and product development at VitaScale.
There are trained dogs that can sniff out certain diseases such as skin, prostate and lung cancer or diabetes using stool, urine and breath samples. With their fine noses and their perfect senses, the dogs can smell the subtle differences. How advantageous would it be if this could also be done electronically?
An “e-nose”, so to speak, with which diseases relating to metabolism, fat burning, lung function and digestive tract functions can be “sniffed out” at an early stage through the changed components in the exhaled air - without needles, quickly and easily: We want to classify the multitude of VOCs through pattern recognition and the use of artificial intelligence in such a way that we are able to detect diseases non-invasively.
Some diseases are characterized by certain patterns in a VOC profile. For example, the acetone value in the breath can be used to make statements about diabetes. If there is more acetone in the exhaled air, this is usually due to higher ketosis - a sign of diabetes. Typically, healthy people have a baseline level of 1 to 2 ppm of acetone in their breath, while people with diabetes have a baseline level of 75 to 1,250 ppm (diabetic ketoacidosis).
VitaScale & VOCs: Detecting diseases earlier
We have been walking towards of diagnostics and disease prevention. Our devices are equipped with several different sensors. Because we want to strengthen the holistic information and enable better, differentiated information through the simultaneous measurement of a large number of VOCs in the breathing gas. This opens up completely new possibilities in the diagnosis and early detection of diseases.
Author: Lisa Schräder
Translation: Bruna Rocha
Sources:
Anderson Joseph C.: Measuring breath acetone for monitoring fat loss: Review (2015), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4737348/ (Stand: 31.12.2023).
Pauling L., Robinson A.B., Teranishi R. & Cary P.: Quantitative analysis of urine vapor and breath by gas-liquid partition chromatography (1971), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC389425/ (Stand: 31.12.2023).
Pereira J., Porto-Figueira P., Cavaco C., Taunk K,. et al: Breath Analysis as a Potential and Non-Invasive Frontier in Disease Diagnosis: An Overview (2015), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381289/#B18-metabolites-05-00003 (Stand: 31.12.23).
Pleil J.D., Stiegel M.A. & Risby T.H.: Clinical breath analysis: Discriminating between human endogenous compounds and exogenous (environmental) chemical confounders. Journal of Breath Research, Vol.7, No. 1, 2013.