lactate
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Abbott is working on ‘biowearables’ to measure glucose, lactate and ketones
The devices will be able to continuously monitor your body's composition and help you take action.
BSXinsight's calf-worn workout intensity sensor is now available
When you're doing an exercise upon yourself, your body generates lactic acid, the levels of which are considered to be the most accurate way to measure your performance during a workout. Unfortunately, you can only test lactate levels with a blood test and some heavy duty equipment, at least, that was the case until now. Kickstarter success BSXinsight is now beginning to ship its wearable sensor that's designed to provide the same information just by scanning your blood vessels.
Scientists turn sweat into electricity with a temporary tattoo
What if running a 5K could do more than just burn calories? A team at the University of California San Diego have developed a temporary tattoo-like sensor that keeps tabs on exercise and converts sweat into electricity. The removable device monitors lactate: a substance that's present in perspiration and increases with more strenuous the activity. Athletes and some medical patients need to keep an eye on lactate levels for a range of reasons, but testing currently involves an invasive blood test during an exercise session. Here, an enzyme on the sensor collects electrons from lactate, and in turn, generates a modest electric current. What's more, the researchers turned those findings into a biobattery that's powered by the collected charge. The most energy produced by one person during the test was 70 microWatts per square centimeter of skin, but work is already underway to boost the system so that if can be used to power small gadgets like watches and heart-rate sensors.
