CAROL – An artificial intelligence-powered bike that gets you fittest, fastest.

You have probably been hearing us talk a lot about CAROL lately and you may be wondering who she is. Well, CAROL is an indoor bike that works differently than your typical cycle ergometer. Better yet, it gets you greater results in significantly less time.

The bike is powered by artificial intelligence, meaning that with each ride, it learns a little bit more about the rider in terms of the intensity metrics (resistance, target cadence, and target power). So all you have to do is choose your workout and ride – the rest is figured out for you. The best part is, the rides can be as short as 5 minutes while still delivering remarkable results.

The research studies based on CAROL showed that following an 8-week protocol of what they call reduced exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT), subjects increased their VO2 max score (more on that in a moment) by 12%; decreased blood triglyceride levels by 10%; decreased blood pressure by 5%; decreased blood sugar by 2%; and increased HDL (good cholesterol) by 6% (Cuddy, Ramos & Dalleck, 2019). The other group, who performed 150 minutes/week of moderate-vigorous physical activity, reduced their risk of developing type II diabetes by only 26%, compared to a 62% reduction of type II diabetes risk in the REHIT (CAROL) group, where each ride was only 8 minutes and 40 seconds long (Cuddy et al., 2019).

VO2max is a measure of the amount of oxygen our bodies use during maximal exercise, thus indicating exercise performance. Increasing VO2max helps to reduce the risk of major health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, strokes, some types of cancer, and it helps to lower blood pressure (Ross et al., 2016). This value typically decreases by 10% every decade after 30 years of age. So if you can increase your VO2max by 12% in 8 weeks of riding CAROL 3 times per week, it’s like turning the clock back 10 years!

If you are short on time for exercise, or you like high-intensity workouts but not the kind that leave you dripping in sweat, then CAROL is perfect for you. We encourage you to come down to Personal Best Exercise Therapy to give it a try for yourself. First, click this link here to sign up for a “CAROL - Initial Ride” and make your profile on CAROL through the link that is sent to you. During this appointment, one of our Kinesiologists will take simple measures of blood pressure, resting heart rate, and oxygen saturation. If you have other goals such as weight loss, then other baseline measures can be taken at your request. You will then be guided through the user interface of the bike and introduced to the various types of workouts to choose from. From there, you can book online or in person for your following CAROL sessions. Your first three rides will be “ramp up” rides, meaning that the bike is calibrating to your personal metrics based on your power output. These rides follow the protocol of a 2-minute warm-up, two 10-second sprints with a 2-minute rest in between, and a 3-minute cool-down. The following 3 rides will also be calibration rides, except you are free to choose between 10, 15, and 20-second sprints.

There are different rides you can choose from that vary in duration, sprint length, rest time, target power, and more! Not to mention, the rides are actually fun to do and they leave you feeling strong and empowered. Kickstart your health and longevity by starting your CAROL journey now!

Get started with your first CAROL appointment here

by Jenna Mellor, Kinesiologist, B. Sc. Kin.