Supersapiens Energy Band Wearable
I reported on the upcoming Supersapiens Wearable a couple of months ago. As of today, it’s now available to buy!
This is a unique product in the world of health/fitness glucose data so I’ll give a quick explainer, below.
More: SuperSapiens Review
What is Supersapiens?
Supersapiens is an app & wearable platform built around the Abbott Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor. The Biosensor has a life of a couple of weeks, is permanently worn on the tricep and is minimally invasive.
the sensor both caches and broadcasts its glucose data.
How Do I see the Data?
Until recently it was only possible to see the data on the Supersapiens data on the smartphone app. The app was improved so that the data could be sent onwards from the app to select Garmin devices. So you can see instantaneous data live on your Garmin BUT the phone app needs to be present.
That’s changed now with the Energy Band. Supersapiens’ Energy Band links directly to the Biosensor and no app is required.
So if you don’t have a Garmin or just don’t want to carry a smartphone then you can see the info conveniently on your wrist with the new Band.
What Do I Do With The Data?
There are several strategies.
Initially, you will learn your personal reaction to many aspects of your diet and then how to manage your diet to better control your glucose levels.
Whilst working out, you will be warned when your sports fuel (glucose) is getting to the point where it will negatively impact your performance. Super-key data.
Tell me more about the Sport Band
It’s sport-proof in the sense that it has WR50 for swimming. I’ve not seen the detail on its battery life but it can be fully recharged in 3-hours.
There are several nuanced features on the band, however, the main ones are the display of absolute glucose levels, current glucose trend and the ability to set & respond to alert levels.
The band does NOT include the sensor. You need to buy the sensors as well as the band.
Opinion
This seems to be a great little wearable for non-fitness uses. It seems pretty good too for some fitness uses where you are concerned or interested in your glucose levels and either don’t have a high-end Garmin or simply don’t want to carry a smartphone.
Nicely, the glucose data is also cached on the sensor for about 8 hours and so when you get home you can look in more detail at your stats on the app.
For sale at supersapiens.com for €159.
If the target market is sports performance then “Not another wearable with their custom platform and technology”.
Two market leaders are Apple Watch and Garmin surely there is more demand to link directly to these platforms then another wearable or custom app environment for athletes.
If the market is for non athletes than is this a viable alternative for type 1 & 2 diabetic? Do you know if it’s passed any of the requirements for medical grade devices?
yes re Apple/Garmin
there is a technical restriction that requires the Abbot sensor to only link to “approved” devices. ie the app.
a new approved device is now this band.
it’s not possible to directly link a Garmin to the Abbot sensor without your phone being present.
so this gives people an option who don’t want to carry their phones (me for a start!)
supersapiens say this “The Abbott Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor is indicated for sports use only. The biosensor measures glucose between 55 and 200 mg/dL for athletic use. It is NOT intended for use in diagnosis, treatment or management of diabetes or any other disease.”
That’s a shame, the hodgepodge of various tools that are not integrated really is a drain.
As a recreational runner without a coaching team behind me I really just want one something to tell me, what activity should I do, when I should do it, how hard should I do it, when should I fuel/hydrated during or after it and what recovery to do if I give it a goal or even tell me what realistic goal should be.
Still some will find value from it as it appears to simplify some of that down to what I’ve said above.
Garmin has a pretty good crack at some of that.
i think we’re at least two years away from a single wearable (watch) with hydration/blood glucose and lactate sensing.
the recovery and planning stuff is solved to varying degrees of piecemealality (that is a word) by what we have now.
AIendurance.com, Garmin Coach, whoop, hrv4training amongst many others.
it depends on how good or serious you are as to the suitability of some of the tools.
I like that sports watch its looking style and cool.