External Responsiveness of the SuperOpTM Device to Assess Recovery After Exercise: A Pilot Study

Post-exercise recovery is a complex process involving a return of performance and a
physiological or perceptual feeling close to pre-exercise status. The hypothesis of this
study is that the device investigated here is effective in evaluating the recovery state
of professional cyclists in order to plan effective training. Ten professional male cyclists
belonging to the same team were enrolled in this study. Participants performed a 7-day
exercise program [D1, D4, and D7: low-intensity training; D2 and D5: passive recovery;
D3: maximum oxygen consumption (VO2Max) test (for maximum mechanical power
assessment only); and D6: constant load test]. During the week of monitoring, each
morning before getting up, the device assessed each participant’s so-called Organic
Readiness {OR [arbitrary unit (a.u.)]}, based on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR),
features of past exercise session, and following self-perceived condition. Based on its
readings and algorithm, the device graphically displayed four different colors/values,
indicating general exercise recommendations: green/3 = “you can train hard,” yellow/2
= “you can train averagely,” orange/1 = “you can train lightly,” or red/0 = “you should
recover passively.” During the week of research, morning OR values and Bonferroni
post-hoc comparisons showed significant differences between days and, namely, values
(1) D2 (after low intensity training) was higher than D4 (after VO2Max test; P = 0.033
and d = 1.296) and (2) D3 and D6 (after passive recovery) were higher than D4 (after
VO2Max test; P = 0.006 and d = 2.519) and D5 (after low intensity training; P = 0.033
and d = 1.341). The receiver operating characteristic analysis area under curve (AUC)
recorded a result of 0.727 and could differentiate between D3 and D4 with a sensitivity
and a specificity of 80%. Preliminarily, the device investigated is a sufficiently effective
and sensitive/specific device to assess the recovery state of athletes in order to plan
effective training.