The Humon Hex (@humon.es ) is a device that wraps round the thigh to measure muscle
oxygen, a gamechanger in sports data analysis. The clinically validated tracker, boasting 96%
accuracy to the gold standard in lab testing, can measure muscle oxygen saturation in real time, in an athlete’s own environment, paving the way for live, reliable data that has only ever been available through lab-based testing. Muscle oxygen saturation will emerge as a leading metric in for physical exertion; athletes having access to a live feed of this will open up a world of opportunity to a multitude of sports. Alongside the muscle oxygen saturation measurement, the hex will also measure lactate threshold and VO2 Max non-invasively, yet again taking metrics only ever available in a lab, out into the real world.
Muscle oxygen saturation data will sharpen an athlete’s arsenal with the data that it provides.
Endurance athletes are typically injured through overexertion and overtraining, and this is
something that the humon hex aims to target and minimise. Using the hex and the accompanying MoxZones app, athletes will be notified when they are sufficiently warmed up, at greater risk of injury, pushing themselves too hard in session or not enough, and also when they are fatigued/ready to train again after a hard session.
However, the hex is not just aimed at endurance athletes; any sportsperson could make use of muscle oxygen saturation data. Monitoring progress over time and tracking improvements could see the marginal gains from the hex develop into leaps in competition.
The Humon Hex relies on near-infrared spectroscopy, and the fact that oxyhaemoglobin and
deoxyhaemoglobin have different absorption spectra in the near-infrared wavelength; when light is directed at the muscle, it will be absorbed at different points. The difference in these points can be measured as the light intensity varies in accordance with oxygen saturation. Sensors on the underside of the hex measure these differences as infrared light travels through the muscle, measuring the saturation. Measuring muscle oxygen saturation also opens doors to measuring VO2 max and lactate threshold, in real time, without the need for lab-testing. VO2 max is a direct measure of how much oxygen is transported around the body and used by the muscles in one minute, a metric easily gathered from muscle oxygen saturation, simply by recording the fluctuation within a time frame. Lactate threshold is calculated by the hex by determining how efficiently the athlete is using oxygen. One of the metrics the hex calculates is oxygen supply and oxygen usage within the muscle. By gauging when usage exceeds supply, the lactate threshold can be calculated.
The new apple watch series 6 measures blood oxygen %. This measures oxygen levels in the
arteries, and can be a very good indicator for health. Normal values for blood oxygen range
between 95-100%, but this has no use in sporting applications, as this will not vary nearly as
much as muscle oxygen saturation. However, humon hope that the introduction of the blood O2 sensor on the apple watch series 6 will bring the data into the public eye, seeing apple not as a competitor, but an aid to athletes using their product.
Humon have designed an app to accompany the hex: MoxZones. Available on iOS and Android, the app is designed to be used by athletes and coaches alike, making data available where it is needed to track progress and improvement throughout a training programme. A colour coordinated system is used to communicate the data to the athletes and coaches, in an easy to understand method:
Green= Steady State
Oxygen consumption and delivery to the muscles is balanced, sustainable.
Orange=Approaching Limit
Muscle begins to use more oxygen than is being supplied.
Red=Limit
Muscle is consuming significantly more oxygen than is being delivered, athlete is training at an unsustainable rate.
Blue: Recovery
Oxygen delivery to the muscles exceeds consumption
Using this, injury risk can be minimised by perfecting a warm up and monitoring recovery. In a warm up, muscle oxygen saturation will increase and then plateau when the athlete is
appropriately warmed up. It will also monitor muscle recovery, potentially spotting potential
injuries before they happen and preventing weeks on the side-lines.
For endurance athletes, the MoxZones app will display live data from the Humon Hex, and show you when you are in the green, orange, and red zones. With this data available to back them up, athletes can push harder, and hang back as and when the numbers show. An athlete ‘feeling tired’ will have data to back them up, and alternative factors such as caffeine intake or a bad night’s sleep will be seen in the data and will support how the athlete is feeling in session. A coach can tailor sessions to their athletes dependent on these factors; with the MoxZones app to support them, athletes will be able to get the most out of every session. Interval training sessions are suited perfectly to the humon hex and MoxZones; An athlete can push themselves through the orange zone into the red, and watch their muscles recover in real time between sets. Being able to monitor their metrics in real time will supply coaches will all the information they need to keep their athletes fit and healthy, whilst pushing them maximally.
The MoxZones app not only displays this invaluable data, but from a coaching perspective, it
allows managers and coaches to schedule training sessions and talk to their athletes within the app. The data collected by each athletes' Humon Hex will be visible to the coach, allowing for tailored sessions both individually or for a group of athletes.
The humon hex, supported by the MoxZones app, opens up new doors for athletic performance.
Whether completing interval or endurance sessions, the data collected can be invaluable, with the potential to identify when an injury could occur, allowing a coach or an athlete to pull back and prevent this. It will enable athletes, both in anaerobic sports and aerobic, to get the most out of their sessions, and push themselves to their limits.
