North Carolina State University - Latest News Update, Information, Photos & Videos on North Carolina State University at Lokmat Times

A group of researchers has developed a device the size of a wristwatch that can monitor an individual's body chemistry to help improve athletic performance and identify potential health problems.The device can be used for various purposes, such as detecting dehydration or tracking athletic recovery. The gadget can potentially find applicability in fields ranging from military training to competitive sports."This technology allows us to test for a wide range of metabolites in almost real-time," says Michael Dele, co-corresponding author of a paper on the work and an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University and in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at NC State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Metabolites are markers that can be monitored to assess an individual's metabolism. So, if someone's metabolite levels are outside of normal parameters, it could let trainers or health professionals know that something's wrong. For athletes, it could also be used to help tailor training efforts to improve physical performance."For this proof-of-concept study, we tested sweat from human participants and monitored for glucose, lactate, pH, and temperature," Dele says.A replaceable strip on the back of the device is embedded with chemical sensors. That strip rests against a user's skin, where it comes into contact with the user's sweat. Data from the sensors in the strip are interpreted by hardware inside the device, which then records the results and relays them to a user's smartphone or smartwatch."The device is the size of an average watch, but contains analytical equipment equivalent to four of the bulky electrochemistry devices currently used to measure metabolite levels in the lab," Dele says.While the work for this paper focused upon measuring glucose, lactate, and pH, the sensor strips could be customized to monitor for other substances that can be markers for health and athletic performance -- such as electrolytes."We're optimistic that this hardware could enable new technologies to reduce casualties during military or athletic training, by spotting health problems before they become critical," Dele says. "It could also improve training by allowing users to track their performance over time. For example, what combination of diet and other variables improves a user's ability to perform?"The researchers are now running a study to further test the technology when it is being worn by people under a variety of conditions."We want to confirm that it can provide continuous monitoring when in use for an extended period of time," Dele says."While it's difficult to estimate what the device might cost consumers, it only costs tens of dollars to make. And the cost of the strips -- which can last for at least a day -- should be comparable to the glucose strips used by people with diabetes."We're currently looking for industry partners to help us explore commercialization options for this technology," Dele says.( With inputs from ANI )

North Carolina State UniversityFOLLOW

North carolina state university, Latest News

Time to quit eating at night? According to the findings of a new study, unhealthy eating behaviours at night can make people less helpful and more withdrawn the next day at work. ...

A recent study has found that unhealthy eating behaviours at night can make people less helpful and more withdrawn the next day at work. ...

New research by the North Carolina State University suggests that people are more likely to take 'microbreaks' at work on days when they're tired - but that's not a bad thing. The study found microbreaks seem to help tired employees bounce back from ...

A commonly expressed protein in the skin -- Periostin -- can directly activate itch- connected neurons in the skin, according to recent research. ...

Periostin, a commonly expressed protein in skin, can directly activate itch-connected neurons in the skin, according to the researchers from North Carolina State University. ...

In a breakthrough, researchers demonstrated a new model that shows how competing pieces of information spread in online social networks and the Internet of Things (IoT). The findings could be used to disseminate accurate information more quickly, dis ...

A new study has suggested that adaptive changes in the microbes inhabiting the human gut (gut microbiome) might be one of the factors responsible for human evolution, allowing our ancestors to survive in new geographic areas and spread around the wor ...

A group of researchers has developed a device the size of a wristwatch that can monitor an individual's body chemistry to help improve athletic performance and identify potential health problems. ...