Health Care IT: 2012 Olympics Shines Spotlight on Mobile Health and Fitness Apps
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The 2012 Olympic Games playing out in London July 27 through Aug. 12 put a spotlight on a number of mobile apps that can help athletes and the more sedentary spectators watching them to stay fit and manage their health. Wireless devices allow people to track their heart rate, speed and geographic elevation during workouts and transmit the data to a smartphone or a cloud personal health platform such as Microsoft HealthVault. The U.S. women's cycling team is using a series of apps that track genetics, sleep patterns and blood glucose levels. Other apps incorporate GPS functionality to track distance and mix health goals with social gaming. The market for mobile health apps will exceed $400 million in revenue by 2016, according to ABI Research. In addition, as of April 2012, more than 13,600 iPhone health and fitness apps were available to consumers, MobiHealthNews reported. Here, eWEEK showcases some of the latest mobile apps that allow athletes and active people to track their health and fitness.
Dexcom
Dexcom's software is used by the U.S. cycling team to monitor their blood glucose levels at the 2012 Summer Games. "These are early-phase trials to see how it works," Kevin Sayer, president of Dexcom, told the Financial Times. The free Dexcom app allows users to view training videos and follow a step-by-step guide on inserting a blood glucose sensor.
