ATLANTA, GA -- On 10 June, the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Management Committee officially approved the use of Supersapiens technology powered by Abbott’s Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor during training. However, the decision disallowed the recording or use of cyclists’ metabolic data during UCI-sanctioned competitions.
In an update to the UCI rules, rule 1.3.006bis stated, “Devices which capture other physiological data, including any metabolic values such as but not limited to glucose or lactate are not authorised in competition.”
Supersapiens respects the UCI's decision and welcomes the clarification, which continues to allow cyclists of all levels to access this powerful technology during training, enabling them to fuel better to help improve their performance.1
“As athletes and proponents of this great sport, we see the myriad of benefits that our technology brings to elite cyclists,” says Supersapiens Founder and CEO Phil Southerland. “In time, we are optimistic that the benefits will be more widely understood and embraced by the governing body, as indeed they are by many elite teams and riders.”
A partnership with global healthcare leader Abbott makes Supersapiens the only energy management ecosystem that directly integrates with a Bluetooth-enabled sports continuous glucose monitor (sports CGM) — the Abbott Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor. Supersapiens offers athletes access to truly meaningful and actionable glucose data with real-time glucose levels transmitted directly to their phone and now to select Garmin bike computers and smartwatches. Supersapiens’ set of data interpretation tools is leading the future of fueling, energy management, and sports performance.
“We continue to welcome the opportunity to work together with the UCI to test this technology with any rider in the peloton at our own expense,” says Southerland. “We look forward to collectively establishing a data set and better scientific learnings around glucose for the benefit of all athletes and the betterment of the sport.”
Supersapiens stands by the conviction that physiological data is personal to each athlete and no different than a heart rate, perspiration level, or core body temperature. Such data is often referred to by the medical fraternity as ‘vital signs’ – vital to the real-time, relative of the human body – particularly while under the considerable pressure of endurance sport.
In a recent interview, the UCI’s Innovation Manager, Michael Rogers described personal glucose levels as ‘powerful data’ – which indeed it is.
Supersapiens will continue to empower elite endurance athletes to better understand their bodies, quantify their fueling strategies, maximize their training, and optimize recovery. Anyone with a goal is an athlete, and together we will help them all go faster longer.
“Weekly, we are expanding our learnings around the benefits of glucose visibility. Based on what I know so far, I cannot in good faith limit this technology to only a few teams when I know it will be a benefit to all riders,” said Southerland. “We are offering Supersapiens, powered by Abbott’s Libre Sense, to every WorldTour pro rider, men and women, based in European countries where Supersapiens is currently available for the rest of the year.”
Since launching last year, Supersapiens has already seen mass adoption of the Supersapiens ecosystem powered by Abbott’s Libre Sense across a wide variety of the world’s most popular sports, including running, football (soccer), and triathlon. Supersapiens is proudly the 2021 and 2022 title sponsor for the IRONMAN World Championship.
The Supersapiens system powered by Abbott’s Libre Sense is now available in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Learn more about the full line of Supersapiens products and purchase Abbott’s biosensor at www.supersapiens.com.
About Supersapiens
Supersapiens is a US-based sports performance company focused on energy management systems that empower athletes to effectively manage in-training fueling to sustain high intensity work, properly manage glucose levels to maximize recovery, and achieve bigger performance gains.
The Abbott Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor is intended for athletes to measure glucose. When used with a compatible product, the biosensor allows athletes to correlate their glucose levels and their athletic performance.
The Supersapiens ecosystem, including the Abbott Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor, is not yet available for sale in the U.S. For a full list of references and FAQs, please visit our Education Hub and Help Center.
The Abbott Glucose Sport Biosensor is not intended for medical use. It is not intended for use in screening, diagnosis, treatment, cure, mitigation, prevention, or monitoring of diseases, including diabetes.
References
1. Fell, J Marc et al. “Carbohydrate improves exercise capacity but does not affect subcellular lipid droplet morphology, AMPK and p53 signaling in human skeletal muscle.” The Journal of physiology, 10.1113/JP281127. 26 Mar. 2021, doi:10.1113/JP281127
2. Coyle EF, Coggan AR, Hemmert MK, Ivy JL. Muscle glycogen utilization during prolonged strenuous exercise when fed carbohydrate. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1986 Jul;61(1):165-72. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1986.61.1.165. PMID: 3525502.
3. Baur DA, Saunders MJ. Carbohydrate supplementation: a critical review of recent innovations. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2021 Jan;121(1):23-66. doi: 10.1007/s00421-020-04534-y. Epub 2020 Oct 27. PMID: 33106933.
