How Intestinal Bacteria Can Be Secretly Making You Fat | Straight Facts

Jerry Brainum discusses the effects intestinal bacteria can have on weight loss,specifically fat loss. 
Great to have this info available!

Use Weights, Not Aerobics, To Ease Back Pain, Study Suggests

People who use weight training to ease their lower back pain are better off than those who choose other forms of exercise such as jogging, according to a University of Alberta study.

The study, done in conjunction with the University of Regina, showed a 60 per cent improvement in pain and function levels for people with chronic backache who took part in a 16-week exercise program of resistance training using dumbbells, barbells and other load-bearing exercise equipment.

In contrast, people who chose aerobic training such as jogging, walking on a treadmill or using an elliptical machine to ease their back pain only experienced a 12 per cent improvement, said Robert Kell, an assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus.

The resistance-training group showed improvements in pain and function of about 60 per cent, while those who took aerobic training experienced only a 12 per cent improvement.

"Any activity that makes you feel better is something you should pursue, but the research indicates that we get better pain management results from resistance training." The extra benefits stem from using the whole-body approach required in resistance training, Kell believes. "We tried to strengthen the entire body and by doing that, we decreased the fatigue people felt throughout the day. They were better able to perform their activities of daily living." Aerobics training generally works just the lower body, he added.

Approximately 80 per cent of North Americans suffer from lower back pain at some point in their lifetimes, and for 85 per cent of them the pain is chronic.

Both types of training did provide other fitness benefits, such as lower body fat, the study showed.

The findings are to be published in early 2009 in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

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Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Alberta. 

Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women.

Our aim was to examine the effects of seven high-intensity aerobic interval training (HIIT) sessions over 2 wk on skeletal muscle fuel content, mitochondrial enzyme activities, fatty acid transport proteins, peak O(2) consumption (Vo(2 peak)), and whole body metabolic, hormonal, and cardiovascular responses to exercise. 

Eight women (22.1 +/- 0.2 yr old, 65.0 +/- 2.2 kg body wt, 2.36 +/- 0.24 l/min Vo(2 peak)) performed a Vo(2 peak) test and a 60-min cycling trial at approximately 60% Vo(2 peak) before and after training. Each session consisted of ten 4-min bouts at approximately 90% Vo(2 peak) with 2 min of rest between intervals. Training increased Vo(2 peak) by 13%. After HIIT, plasma epinephrine and heart rate were lower during the final 30 min of the 60-min cycling trial at approximately 60% pretraining Vo(2 peak). 

Exercise whole body fat oxidation increased by 36% (from 15.0 +/- 2.4 to 20.4 +/- 2.5 g) after HIIT. Resting muscle glycogen and triacylglycerol contents were unaffected by HIIT, but net glycogen use was reduced during the posttraining 60-min cycling trial.

 HIIT significantly increased muscle mitochondrial beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (15.44 +/- 1.57 and 20.35 +/- 1.40 mmol.min(-1).kg wet mass(-1) before and after training, respectively) and citrate synthase (24.45 +/- 1.89 and 29.31 +/- 1.64 mmol.min(-1).kg wet mass(-1) before and after training, respectively) maximal activities by 32% and 20%, while cytoplasmic hormone-sensitive lipase protein content was not significantly increased. Total muscle plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein content increased significantly (25%), whereas fatty acid translocase/CD36 content was unaffected after HIIT. 

In summary, seven sessions of HIIT over 2 wk induced marked increases in whole body and skeletal muscle capacity for fatty acid oxidation during exercise in moderately active women.

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 

No time to get fit? Think again Just one minute of intense exercise produces significant health benefits

Researchers at McMaster University have found that a single minute of very intense exercise produces health benefits similar to longer, traditional endurance training.

The findings put to rest the common excuse for not getting in shape: there is not enough time.

"This is a very time-efficient workout strategy," says Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster and lead author on the study. "Brief bursts of intense exercise are remarkably effective."

Scientists set out to determine how sprint interval training (SIT) compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), as recommended in public health guidelines. They examined key health indicators including cardiorespiratory fitness and insulin sensitivity, a measure of how the body regulates blood sugar.

A total of 27 sedentary men were recruited and assigned to perform three weekly sessions of either intense or moderate training for 12 weeks, or to a control group that did not exercise).

The McMaster team has previously shown that the SIT protocol, which involved three 20-second 'all-out' cycle sprints, was effective for boosting fitness. The workout totalled just 10 minutes, including a 2-minute warm-up and 3-minute cool down, and two minutes of easy cycling for recovery between the hard sprints.

The new study compared the SIT protocol with a group who performed 45 minutes of continuous cycling at a moderate pace, plus the same warm-up and cool down. After 12 weeks of training, the results were remarkably similar, even though the MICT protocol involved five times as much exercise and a five-fold greater time commitment.

"Most people cite 'lack of time' as the main reason for not being active," according to Gibala. "Our study shows that an interval-based approach can be more efficient -- you can get health and fitness benefits comparable to the traditional approach, in less time."

Gibala, who has studied has been studying interval training for more than a decade. O, was the first researcher to show that a few minutes per week of intense exercise produced benefits similar to longer, continuous workouts. Over time, his team has experimented with different protocols in an effort to identify the most time-efficient exercise strategies.

"The basic principles apply to many forms of exercise," he says. "Climbing a few flights of stairs on your lunch hour can provide a quick and effective workout. The health benefits are significant."

The findings are published online in the journal PLOS ONE.

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Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by McMaster University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Interval Training Burns More Fat, Increases Fitness, Study Finds

Interval training burns fat and improves fitness more quickly than constant but moderately intensive physical activity, according to research by a University of Guelph researcher.

The study by Jason Talanian, a PhD student in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, was published recently in the Journal of Applied Physiology. It found that after interval training, the amount of fat burned in an hour of continuous moderate cycling increased by 36 per cent and cardiovascular fitness increased by 13 per cent.

Fitness buffs and athletes have long used interval training — short bursts of intensive effort interspersed with more moderate stretches — to improve performance. But Talanian’s study shows that the practice also improves cardiovascular fitness and helps the body burn more fat, even during low-intensity or moderate workouts.

Talanian studied women riding stationary bikes in hard-easy intervals in the training lab of his supervisor, Guelph Prof. Lawrence Spriet. The eight subjects included moderately fit women in their 20s as well as borderline sedentary subjects and an active soccer player. They trained every other day for two weeks. They alternated 10 sets of four-minute bursts of riding at 90-per-cent effort with two-minute rest intervals.

It did not matter how fit the subjects were before. After interval training, they experienced not only an increase in fat used and in aerobic capacity, but also an increase of enzyme activity in the muscle

Talanian notes that faster fat burning and greater overall fitness may not necessarily mean immediate weight loss. The technique may improve someone’s potential to burn more fat, “but for weight loss, you need to consider a balance of exercise and a healthy diet,” he said.

The message from his studies is to mix interval training into an exercise routine once or twice a week, particularly in running, swimming or cycling.

For his follow-up study, Talanian plans to look at about a dozen women over a six-week training period. “We will look at muscle transporters that carry fatty acids into the cell that might help explain those earlier results,” he said.

Six surprising habits that accelerate fat loss

If you want to lose weight, you need to eat less and exercise more. No question about that. But what if losing a pound a month isn’t enough for you? What if you want to lose weight fast? Once you’ve cut out the soda and candy and started working out a few times a week, you can follow these six rules to multiply the effect of your diet and exercise program, dramatically accelerating your weight loss.

1.  Drink more water, especially before meals

Everyone knows we need water to live. But few people realize how much we need. The vast majority of people live in a state of mild, chronic dehydration, which leads to low energy and weight gain. For maximum well-being and fat loss, make an effort to drink at least half a gallon of water a day, and drink at least 16 ounces of water before each meal, and any time you feel low on energy.

For this to work, you need to drink water- not soda, not coffee or juice, but actual water. If you find that difficult, try flavoring your water with a very small amount of fruit or cucumber.

2.  Spend more time chewing your food

One popular theory holds that eating more slowly will help people lose weight. The reason is, there’s a delay between when you swallow food and when that food causes your brain to reduce its sense of hunger, and this delay causes people to eat more than necessary at the end of their meal. Experts such as the early 20th century dietitian Horace Fletcher have long suggested that eating more slowly will result in eating less.

A recent study from China confirms the truth of this theory: it showed that obese men ate more quickly than non-obese men. It also found that men who chew each bite forty times lost 12% more fat than men who chewed each bite only fifteen times. If you want to lose weight, make a commitment to chew each bite of food at least twenty times, then raise that number by five every week.

3.  Take a walk after every meal

An old roommate of mine once told me that he lost ten pounds when he started taking a walk after every meal. At the time, I couldn’t believe it – a walk is hardly even exercise at all, and certainly doesn’t compare to a serious gym session! But more recently, I’ve realized that I was wrong: walking after meals really is one of those little fat loss tricks that can make a huge difference.

Now, walking really isn’t the best exercise and doesn’t compare to a serious workout – I was right about that. But it turns out that there’s something else going on here: getting even light activity after a meal activates your GLUT-4 receptors, causing your muscles to absorb all of that glucose you just ate. What’s more, this prevents the meal from spiking your insulin levels the way it would otherwise. So follow my old roommate’s advice: take a ten minute walk after every meal.

4.  Use cold temperatures to make fat work for you

Now here’s the most surprising thing you’ll read all week: not all fat is bad for you. Most of your fatty tissue is white fat, which just stores energy. That’s what you think of when you think of fat. But you also have a small amount of brown fat, which burns energy to keep you warm. You can dramatically accelerate fat loss by exposing your body to cold temperatures to stimulate brown fat growth.

There are several ways to do this. You can keep your home a little bit colder, or wear lighter clothing throughout the day. You can drink a glass of ice water every morning and every evening. You can also target brown fat more directly, bt applying cold directly to it. Your brown fat is located in your neck and on your upper chest and back, so you can stimulate it by taking a cold shower and aiming the water there, or by applying an ice pack to the base of your neck.

5.  Add lemon juice, honey and cinnamon to your meals

It’s well-known that healthier food tends to be that which your body absorbs more slowly, while junk foods such as sodas are often digested very quickly. Thankfully, there are ways to make your body digest any food more slowly. Adding lemon juice and cinnamon to your meals appears to slow the rate at which food transits from your stomach to your intestine, which has been shown to improve insulin and blood sugar control. Replacing table sugar with a small amount of honey also seems to improve blood sugar levels, most likely because honey, too, is digested more slowly than other sugars.

6.  Take photos of every meal you eat

Most people don’t need to learn more about what they should and should not eat. They have a good diet, but they just don’t follow it. For most people, the missing ingredient isn’t another food they need to add or subtract from their diet; it’s awareness and accountability. You need to be keeping track of just how much you really cheat on your diet.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Science says that taking photos of your food is several times more effective than writing a food journal. To keep yourself accountable, start a dedicated Instagram account or Facebook photo album, and upload a photo of every meal you eat to it. You’ll pay more attention to your eating habits, and you’ll feel some pressure to eat healthy knowing your friends can see what you eat.

Featured photo credit: Abnehmen/Butz.2013 via flickr.com

Exercise: Women must do more to reap same positive health outcomes as men

More than one-third of Americans are obese, and these individuals often experience accompanying health issues, such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems. In response to the so-called "obesity epidemic," many medical professionals have suggested ways to improve the health outcomes of obese individuals through diet and exercise. Now, research conducted at the University of Missouri suggests certain exercises that benefit obese men may not have the same positive results for obese women. These findings could help health providers and researchers develop targeted exercise interventions for obese women.

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• "Our results indicate gender may contribute to differences in cardiovascular function of obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes," said Jill Kanaley, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at MU. "Men saw improvement after aerobic exercise training, but the women did not experience the same benefits."

Kanaley and her colleagues monitored cardiovascular responses, such as heart rate and blood pressure, of nearly 75 obese men and women with Type 2 diabetes. To monitor cardiovascular responses, the individuals completed an isometric handgrip test, which involves continually and forcefully squeezing an object for a few minutes, at the beginning and end of a structured, 16-week walking program.

"What this research highlights, at least using the handgrip test, is that the advantages we think exercise is going to give individuals may not be the same across genders, particularly for those who have Type 2 diabetes," Kanaley said. "This is a concern because there are high mortality rates with Type 2 diabetes, especially for women. We're trying to find successful interventions to help these individuals, and we keep assuming that exercise will do the trick -- we think when we tell people to "go train," regardless of gender, everyone will get the same results. Our research indicates certain exercises may not be enough for women, as our walking program did not show positive improvements for them."

Obese women with Type 2 diabetes might benefit from longer durations or higher intensities of exercise, Kanaley said. In addition, Kanaley said more concern should be placed on how long it takes cardiovascular function to return to normal after exercise as well as how fast the heart beats during physical exertion.

"A lot of people focus on how high individuals' heart rates get during exercise, but their recovery rates also should be monitored," Kanaley said. "When you exercise, you want your blood pressure to rise, but you don't want it to get too high. Your blood pressure should return to normal relatively quickly after you stop exercise. In our study, the recovery rate for women was not as rapid as for men. After the men trained, they got an even better recovery time, whereas women's time stayed about the same."

The study, "Exercise training improves hemodynamic recovery to isometric exercise in obese men with Type 2 diabetes but not in obese women," was published in the December issue of Metabolism.

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jill A. Kanaley, Styliani Goulopoulou, Ruth Franklin, Tracy Baynard, Robert L. Carhart, Ruth S. Weinstock, Bo Fernhall. Exercise training improves hemodynamic recovery to isometric exercise in obese men with type 2 diabetes but not in obese women. Metabolism, 2012; 61 (12): 1739 DOI:10.1016/j.metabol.2012.07.014

The effects of Sodium Bicarbonate supplementation on performance in high-intensity intermittent training

The effects of Sodium Bicarbonate supplementation on performance in high-intensity intermittent training, a review of current literature.

By Mark O`Connell BSc.(Hons), Functional Movement Testing.ie/IT Tallaght.

Introduction:

The role of Sodium bicarbonate (SB or NaHCO₃ or) as an ergogenic aid within sport has enjoyed a long established history of scientific research dating from the early 1930`s, the driving factor for early research was to increase sports performance in endurance sports, primary being long distance events of either cycling or running, from early studies researchers identified that that exercise released harmful by-products from the muscle and this altered the body`s natural pH balance, once altered this contributed to fatigue and reduced performance, so the task was to limit the effect of these by-products by inducing alkalosis by the ingestion of a pH buffer, Sodium bicarbonate ( Carr et al, 2011, Dennig et al, 1931 Dill et al, 1932).

As the human body stores a limited reserve of SB to use as a natural buffering agent to help limit both intracellular and extracellular changes in both blood and muscle pH levels due to exercise, it was noted that to limit fatigue the athlete would be require to use supplementation to make up for this physiological limitation (Van Montfoort et al, 2004).

Normal functioning arterial blood pH is approximately 7.4 with muscle pH levels typically 7.0, but with the onset of vigorous exercise as with high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT), arterial pH may lower to 7.1 and muscle pH decrease to 6.8, this is characterised with the release of hydrogen ions (H⁺) from the muscle as a response to vigorous exercise, this balance is known as the blood acid-base balance and it`s main function is to regulate H⁺ ion concentrations (McNaughton et al, 2008).

High-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) may be described as short-duration efforts of sub-maxiamal efforts (90%> V̇o₂ max) coupled with peroids of light active recovery and rest periods, work rates may consist of <10 second`s of maximal sprint intervals with a recovery period of between 60–300 seconds to allow for recovery and preparation for the next high intense burst of activity (Spencer et al, 2005).

Due to HIIT activity predomintly using the anerobic energy system and using limited amounts of oxygen, this requires high rates of anaerobic glycolysis to fuel activity from the conversion of glucose to pyruvate during short, intense periods of high intensity exercise with periods lasting  from 10 seconds to 2 minutes (Tomlin & Wenger,2001).

HIIT require high amounts of ATP produced from anaerobic glycolysis, and results in a buildup of H⁺ ions within the intracellular buffer resulting in an increase in extracellular pH in both blood and muscular pH acidity and an increase in blood lactate acid resulting in fatigue and a decrease in sports performance.

Previous research has also this view by reporting that due to the body having a limited amount of SB available to counteract the physiological effects of HITT, the accumulation of H⁺ ions and blood Lactate (Lac^-) as these waste by-products are associated with the drop in blood and muscular pH levels and are essential factors to the individual’s sports performance (Hobson et al, 2014).

Due to these factors, there is an opportunity for sports and exercise professionals to use SB supplementation within HIIT especially within field sports based on practical application methods from current research, an appropriate SB supplementation dosage and ingestion protocol may aid in reducing players fatigue and increase intermittent performance in their chosen sport.

Mechanisms of action:

Role of the anaerobic glycolysis pathway during HIIT:

Of the three energy pathways used to produce energy for activity, the anaerobic glycolytic pathway is responsible for providing the energy for high intensity exercise, through the breakdown of carbohydrates via muscle glycogen. The process may be described as during intense exercise the body requires high amount of energy in the form of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), this is produced by the breakdown of glucose to 2 ATP molecules via glycolysis and this then creates 4 ATP molecules, the muscle requires 2 ATP to complete muscular contraction, and two ATP molecules are used as the process is anaerobic and uses no oxygen, this limits the body`s ability to reproduce ATP at the rate needed to maintain HIIT (Jansson et al, 1988).

As these energy stores become depleted this results in a release in H⁺ ion concentrations and lactate (Lac^-) waste by-products from energy production in both the blood and muscle ( McNaughton et al, 2008).

This combination of both H⁺ / Lac^-  inhibits the release of calcium from the sacroplasmic reticulum and stops the interaction of both actin and myosin in the sliding-filament theory, resulting in a loss of muscular contraction as well as a drop in pH levels that inhibit the ability of the pathway to reproduce ATP (Shelton & Kumar, 2010).

Mechanism of action of SB during HITT:

As previous studies on SB have agreed that as an alkalizing agent, its primary function is a buffering action against the effect of acidosis and agreed that it`s effects of action is the ability to draw out acid created in the muscle cells into the blood and reduce intracellular acidity levels , this results in an increase in extracellular pH as both H⁺ and Lac^- are transported out of the cell using active transport and with the increase in activity from the H⁺/Lac^- co-transporter, which is more effective during an increase in the  intracellular/extracellular H⁺gradient (McNaughton et al, 1997, VanMontfoort et al, 2004).

Discussion:

Review of key literature:

While previous research into SB and its effect on sports performance has studied and reported for over 30 years (Jones et al, 1977) and previous studies have also reported on SB supplementation within high intensity training, there is little research into the effects of SB on HIIT as in field sports (Matson and Vu Tan, 1993).

A previous meta-analysis research article consisting of 29 studies concluded that SB supplementation showed an improvement in sprint performance in high intensity training lasting from 45 seconds to six minutes (Matson and Vu Tan, 1993).

This review was supported by two previous studies that concluded that SB supplementation in high intensity activity to last between 1-7 and 1-10 minutes at 85% individual V̇o₂ max and agreed that there was an increase in the participant’s performance (Linderman and Fahey, 1991., Maughan and Greenhaff, 1994).

Previous research into HIIT by Raymer et al (2004), found that SB supplementation before HIIT was beneficial in maintaining acid-base homeostasis during exercise and found an increase of the studies participants in time to exhaustion (TTE) an improvement in peak power output (PO_peak) of 12%. This was supported by a study in 200m free-style swimming and found that SB supplementation participants to have increased performance times compared to both a control and placebo groups with 1.5 second improvement against both groups (Lindh et al, 2007).

Yet, this research was not supported by Linderman and Gosselink (1994), who having researched 16 published studies only found one study to report that SB supplementation to have a positive effect on sprint performance in events lasting less than 60 seconds.

The most recent meta-analysis by Carr et al (2011) stated that SB supplementation can improve performance in HIIT by 1.7% in events lasting less than 10 seconds in male athletes, they also commented on small improvements within endurance events or activities lasting over 10 minutes.

It was suggested as high-intensity events of up to one hour are conducted at work rates below to the individuals lactate threshold and do not require additional bicarbonate buffering due to the natural process of removing lactate via the Cori cycle.

This is not the case with intermittent sports (e.g. field sports) where HIIT produce high levels of H⁺ and Lac^- and that SB supplementation has a positive effect of reducing the onset of fatigue(Edge et al, 2006).

Previous research has commented on one of the most important factors within SB supplementation, being recommended dosage, research by Requena et al (2005) as suggested that the optimal timing of SB supplementation to be between 60-90 minutes before training.

The majority of literature supports two suggested loading phases for SB supplementation before training or competition and recommended supplementation with water to avoid the risk of hyperosmotic diarrhea and gastro-intestinal distress (Carr et al, 2011 Matsuura et al. 2007, ).

The two phases are:

1) The Acute loading phase – 300mg/kg (SB/Body weight) between 60-90 minutes before training or competition.

2) Chronic loading – 500mg/Kg (SB/Body weight) ingested over 5-6 days in four periods of the day.

Within studies on HIIT, the most common dosage chosen by researchers is 300mg per kg of individual’s body weight, due to its ability to give a physiological dose response and improve performance while reducing the risk of negative side effects (Lindh et al, 2007, Rayner et al,2004, Van Montfoort et al, 2004)

 Potential risk of sodium bicarbonate ingestion:

Recent research has studied ingestion methods for SB supplementation and has commented on antidotal evidence from athletes that regular baking soda mixed with water to result in stomach cramp or was undrinkable. This led researchers to offer two method`s of ingestion being capsules or flavored effervescent powder within urinary alkalanisers (Carr et al, 2011).

Research on the risks and side effects of SB ingestion has reported that negative effects for the athletes include diarrhea, bloating, stomach cramps and gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort. This has commonly being due to inappropriate ingestion protocols either with rapid ingestion or a too high  ingestion dose or the dosage ingested was not consumed with enough water and resulted in reduced cell absorption (Kolkhorst et al. 2004).

 Conclusion:

From having reviewed the current research on the topic of interest, the authors has suggested two area`s for recommended further research, while even having the benefit of extensive research being conducted on SB ingestion within high intensity sports and reported improvements in athletic performance, very little research has being conducted on SB effects within field sports and improvement in performance, even though field sports are both high intensity and intermittent in nature, it is recommended to conduct future research into SB supplementation on field sports, also the author has recognized that current research has offered two dosage amounts from injection, with the vast majority of studies reporting that a dosage of  300mg/kg to be most effective, it is recommended to conduct studies using alternative dosage amounts or dosage timings (e.g. 100mg/kg-vs.-200mg/kg-vs.-300mg/kg..etc) in pre and post competition to compare against the standard 300 mg/kg dosage recommendation.

Practical application of Sodium bicarbonate within High-intensity intermittent training:

Based on current research, practical recommendations for SB ingestion in HIIT is to consume 300mg/kg of SB via capsule or powder form between 60-90 minutes prior to training/competition with a recommended 2 liters of water over the same time period to reduce GI discomforts. 

Samsung Simband Debuts

Not content to stop at fitness bands and smartphones with heart monitors, Samsung today showed off a new prototype wrist monitor while announcing a new cloud-based health data service that aggregates all your readings from different devices. At an event in San Francisco, the Korean tech giant talked about its desire to create an open platform for digital health information that doctors,developers and patients can all take advantage of.

Samsung Architecture for Multimodal Interactions (SAMI), will be a cloud-based open software platform, where a variety of devices and sensors can securely store data. Developers and scientists can then create algorithms to analyze the data, and find new insights, Samsung says. The personal data stored in SAMI will still be owned by the individual and is totally secure, like money in bank.

SAMI will allow your many health and environmental sensors to collaborate in the cloud. Your fitness tracker usually can't communicate with your thermostat, but through SAMI, developers could design an app that turns the temperature down when you come back from a run, Samsung said.

"We want to provide a platform to accelerate the speed of innovation," Young Sohn, president and chief strategy officer at Samsung, said at the event.

The company also showed off a wearable wristband called Simband, which is intended to serve as a reference design for future devices rather a shipping product. It is designed in sections, or modules, so that other companies can integrate their own sensors. The open platform will allow for the inclusion of sensors that haven't even been imagined yet, said Ram Fish, vice president of digital health at Samsung.

Future Simband sensors could include a PPG sensor to measures changes in blood flow, and monitor vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure, and an ECG sensor to monitor the rate and regularity of the heartbeat. Fish demonstrated how a Simband prototype could continuously monitor heart rate and other vital signs.

The Simband can be charged with a "shuttle battery" that is attached, and charges while the user wears the device, Fish said.

Samsung has partnered with the University of California, San Francisco to work on validating the technologies and algorithms that come out of the project, to ensure that the technology is accurate, and that healthcare professions feel they can rely on the devices, said Dr. Michael Blum, associate vice chancellor for informatics at UCSF.

"This is a really exciting time for the medical community to engage with Silicon Valley," Blum said. "We can collect massive new datasets" to develop new understandings about how our bodies work, he said.

Samsung said that the beta APIs for SAMI would be ready by the end of the year.