The sweet science of glucose monitors – AW – Athletics Weekly

Sifan Hassan, Eilish McColgan and Eliud Kipchoge are among a new wave of athletes who are measuring their sugar levels with biosensors in a bid to run faster When Sifan Hassan crossed the finish line of the TCS London Marathon in April, she was wearing the Nike super-shoe prototypes on her feet, a pair of green shorts and a singlet on her body and a huge smile on her face. Barely noticeable on the back of her left arm was a small, white biosensor, too. This device was a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), made by Abbott, and which works alongside an app created by a company called Supersapiens. Currently all the rage in endurance sport circles, it is effectively the world’s first human fuel gauge. In recent years athletes have been able to measure, among other things, their heart rate, body weight, sleep patterns, stride length and cadence. Yet now, thanks to this collaboration between Supersapiens and the Abbott Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor, you can add blood sugar fluctuations to the list. Traditionally used by diabetics, athletes like Hassan are wearing a CGM to help with pre and mid-race fuelling. The Dutch athlete is not paid to wear it
Read More