Running — at its core, a very simple sport — has seen technological advances in recent years that have changed not only how we run, but also how we eat, recover, and train. Super shoes and ultralight gear make a difference, but with new advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) that can look at our running form and compare it to the ideal, analyze our nutrition intake from a simple photo and help us plan our diets, and offer guidance on training and recovery, the interwovenness of technology and running is only set to increase. And this isn’t a bad thing!
Technology — from smartwatches to supershoes — has changed how we run, train, and recover. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
While many things stay the same in the sport — the mountains, the classic courses, and the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other — technology marches relentlessly forward, and nowhere is technology developing faster and more powerfully than in AI. Increasingly ubiquitous — from internet searches to complex data analysis — AI has made headway into the spheres of training and racing in powerful and exciting ways.
As in the rest of our lives, the question is: How can we use AI to optimize our training and racing while avoiding the pitfalls of overreliance?
Biometric Data
Biometric data collected from wearables — fitness trackers and smartwatches — has been a central part of training for many years. What began with simple heart rate monitoring has expanded into more complex biometrics, such as heart rate variability, sleep quantity and quality, and the first-generation data analysis that produces recovery scores.
Fitness trackers like the Apple Watch Ultra 2 can keep track of a variety of biometric markers. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
AI can now take that biometric data and provide more precise and robust training recommendations, down to daily mileage and intensity. Applications such as Zone7 collect and analyze datasets from large athletic populations to produce individualized training recommendations and relative injury risk based on one’s own monitored and reported biometrics. Like Google Maps informing you — from crowdsourced data — that law enforcement is up ahead, this “heads-up” data analysis may provide a crucial and individualized early-warning system that lets you benefit from the experiences of others. While Zone7 is currently designed for large athletic groups and professional teams rather than individual athletes, its move toward accessibility for solo runners signals the future potential of tools for personalized injury prevention and training optimization.
Nutrition and Energy Balance Optimization
Nutrition is an enormously important factor in running performance, training, and longevity. Although runners have long been optimizing in-workout and race nutrition strategies guided by the latest scientific data, AI promises to take nutrition optimization to the next level.
Several AI apps — such as Garmin Connect, Lumen, and Fitia — already provide macronutrient data and calorie content for meals calculated from a simple phone photo. This eliminates the tedious measurement and guesswork that it used to take to track macros.
Running nutrition has become far more dialed in over the past few years, thanks to advances in technology and a better understanding of human physiology. Photo courtesy of Gabe Joyes.
Nutrition-based AI can help not only with tracking but also with suggestions. The new nutrition frontier involves combining training data, biometrics, and metabolic testing with AI-driven analysis for personalized nutrition recommendations — not only on a daily basis, but even in real time. Apps like Fuelin, Hexis, and MacroFactor all tailor nutrition recommendations based on your personal needs, training demands, and daily biometric feedback. This is truly a cutting-edge tech application in an area that can be challenging even for the most seasoned and disciplined runners.
Biomechanics Optimization
Lastly — and a major personal-professional interest of mine — is the use of AI for running biomechanics optimization. A few apps have created what are called large-motion models — massive data sets gathered from all types of runners — to establish a reference system for an efficient running gait. When comparing their stride with this dataset, individual runners can analyze their gait and receive feedback and recommendations.
In my experience, apps such as Ochy and Movaia are the most potent and easy-to-use AI-driven tools for stride feedback. Users record and upload running videos to the app and, within seconds, receive AI analysis of posture, key joint angles, limb positions, and metrics such as cadence. The apps provide both red flags for potential injury risks and individualized stride corrections.
AI can now analyze a running stride for inefficiencies. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
While this technology is still in its relative infancy, it is rapidly improving in accuracy and efficacy. For runners and their medical and coaching teams, this could be a big game-changer. Of all the potential variables, running biomechanics is often the most overlooked and difficult to evaluate and optimize. This emergent technology has the potential to turn every runner into a stride expert and empower runners and coaches alike to continually evaluate and optimize movement in ways never before possible.
The AI Sniff-Test
Training, nutrition, and stride mechanics are three of the most powerful and challenging factors in running optimization. The addition of AI, with its complex data-driven solutions and recommendations, has the potential to change how we analyze our running.
But it’s not without risks.
AI chatbots are prone to “hallucination” — producing recommendations that are descriptively coherent and strongly delivered, yet erroneous or even nonsensical. The same risks apply to run-specific AI tools. Thankfully, we are still humans with working brains and, hopefully, enough experience to know if an AI-driven recommendation for training, nutrition, or running mechanics passes the sniff test. We need to be able to ask: Is this recommendation logical, and does it help me run better?
AI has the potential to revolutionize many different aspects of running … if used correctly. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
That said, with responsible and educated use, AI has the potential to revolutionize our running, helping us reach the edge of our potential and peak enjoyment while avoiding injury and burnout. These technologies will continue to advance in the coming years and help us to optimize our running, training, recovery, and nutrition.
When it comes to data-driven running, we live in an exciting time!
Call for Comments
- How do you use AI in your running?
