EFFORT MONITORING IN ACUTE ALTITUDE EXPOSURE BY MEANS OF SUUNTO WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
EFFORT MONITORING IN ACUTE ALTITUDE EXPOSURE BY MEANS OF SUUNTO WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

Summary/Abstract: Currently, outdoor activities, especially trekking and mountaineering capture the interest of large populations, of all ages, despite rough conditions or deep exhaustion. The search of adventure can be equally rewarding and challenging/risky if limit situations are not properly managed to ensure personal safety and physical integrity. In this perspective using top notch technology becomes mandatory in view to having a successful experience. Therefore, one of the major trends in sports training but also in recreational sports is the tendency to use smart wearables for activity monitoring, feedback, localization, external notification, in outdoor environmental conditions. The Suunto devices are one of the most comprehensive technologies, providing key features for sports and adventures activities. This paper emphasizes the way Suunto Ambit 3 Peak accesses some outdoor functions - GPS tracking and navigation, altimeter and weather conditions, as well as training functions - speed and distance, heart rate, training load and recovery. The main research method used was the study case for a non-athlete adult subject performing the ascent and descent from Uhuru 5895m peak in Kilimanjaro. The data offers cues in terms of gradual adaptation according to physiological principles in mountaineering, as references for those who practice this recreational, yet demanding activity. Concretely, five-days data were processed, correlating altitude, distance, heart rate, excess postexercise oxygen consumption and the number of calories burned. Continuous monitoring of outdoor and training functions revealed a multistage adaptation for both effort and altitude constraints, proving that the aim to climb Uhuru peak was attainable without exhaustive costs also by an ongoing reinforcement feedback provided by technology.

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