Personalized Activity Results and Tools for Runners and Cyclists
Runners and cyclists can now get personalized physical activity and fitness results from Wolfram|Alpha. Our team has added enhanced activity formulas to provide specific results that account for the individual differences among all types of runners and cyclists. Whether preparing for a race or monitoring regular routines, athletes and enthusiasts alike can now calculate actual performance results and compute performance predictions and the impact of exercise on personal physical fitness.
You can calculate your own results in Wolfram|Alpha by using a natural language input such as “cycling 72.13 miles for 240 minutes” or you can type in “cycling” to explore all of the formula’s options. For example, a cyclist who is preparing for, or who has just completed, a race can calculate a variety of user-specific metabolic properties, like the amount of fat and the number of calories burned, by taking into account factors such as age, gender, height, weight, incline, resting heart rate, and wind speed and direction. Below are sample results from Wolfram|Alpha when calculating the speed a 25-year-old male cyclist needs to maintain to complete a race in 240 minutes:
To complement the results of Wolfram|Alpha’s calculations, cyclists can compare their speed or pace with world record times by clicking the “Show comparisons” link.
Runners can input similar information and calculate calories and fat burned; oxygen consumed; heart rate; equivalent activities; conversions for speed, pace, distance, and time; and performance predictions. For this example, we convinced a member of our team to share his post-race results from the 2009 Chicago Marathon:
There are a number of existing Wolfram|Alpha tools that come in handy when preparing for a casual ride or a major race. Wondering when you need to start your rigid 18-week training program for the Chicago Marathon? Ask Wolfram|Alpha to calculate “October 10, 2010 minus 18 weeks“. If you’re running a few weeks behind, enter the date of the event, and Wolfram|Alpha will count down the number of days until you cross the finish line.
Need to fuel your body before hitting the road? Ask Wolfram|Alpha for “nutrition information for 3 servings of pasta with marinara sauce” and get a breakdown of calories, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
These are just a few handy tools in Wolfram|Alpha for runners and cyclists. Which tools are you already using? Are there other running and cycling related tools you’d like to see in Wolfram|Alpha?