Earbuds that monitor runners' breath and foot strikes

System developed by SMU team aims to help athletes maximise their performance

- Judith Tan

As runners focus all their energies and attention on achieving certain personal targets, they may forget a couple of key things - how they are breathing and how their feet are striking the ground.

A team from Singapore Management University (SMU) has come up with a system to help runners monitor these two areas that could help them improve their performance.

BreathPro was developed by researchers from the university's School of Computing and Information Systems, working together with collaborators from the University of Cambridge.

It primarily features a pair of earbuds for runners, similar to the earbuds many of them use to listen to music during their workouts.

The BreathPro earbuds have microphones that monitor whether a runner breathes in and out through his nose or mouth, as well as detect how his feet strike the ground - on the forefoot or the heel.

According to Assistant Professor Ma Dong, who led the research team, there have been studies measuring breathing rate or the number of breaths per minute, but none measuring how runners breathe. "With BreathPro, we are able to fill this gap," he said.

Working with 25 study participants on the project, the research team identified four breathing modes: inhaling and exhaling through the nose, and inhaling and exhaling through the mouth.

These breathing modes are significant in performance sports.

Breathing through the nose is usually favoured during endurance activities like marathons because it filtrates air efficiently, and retains moisture and warmth, which enhances oxygen intake and reduces respiratory discomfort.

Breathing through the mouth is preferred during high-intensity bursts of activity, such as sprints and dashes.

The choice of breathing through the nose or the mouth, Dr Ma said, also depends on factors such as fitness level and respiratory health.