Lumen aims at measuring the main source of energy of the body, carbohydrates or fat, by measuring the levels of Carbon Dioxide in the breath. Scientific studies have validated the reliability of the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) values device compared to the gold standard metabolic cart. Clinical studies are even planned to start soon to assess the benefits of the device for prediabetic prevention.
We recently reviewed the Lumen device and found it most useful to improve metabolic flexibility, the ability to switch from burning sugar to fat.
But as good as the device can be, the grail combines the metabolic data from the Lumen with the input from a smartwatch. Garmin and Lumen have been working on this for the past months, and phase 2 of the integration is finally on.
Successful integration of Garmin and Lumen
Both companies understand that users aim at optimizing both their fitness and metabolism. The first phase of the collaboration started in November 2020. The Garmin Health API was used to collect and display the data from the Lumen breath analyzer to the smartwatch users.
Even if we do not use a Garmin Watch as part of our routine, we measure our metabolic status pre and post-workout. Being guided in this process and receiving advice on a dedicated Garmin app is a feature that we could enjoy.
Being able to see the results of our workout in real-time on our metabolism is what drives motivation.
During the three months of this phase I, Lumen collected more than 11,000 post-workout data. The results and benefits of the integration with Garmin were quite striking. Seventy percent of the users shifted to burning fat as a fuel source following their workout. This is our goal, and we use it to know if we need to do a bit of cardio.
Users of both Garmin and Lumen also trained longer (15%) and were more active as far as the number of steps is considered a reliable metric for daily activities.
The future of the collaboration
Leveraging this first stage of integration, the companies decided to go one step further and combine the Lumen metabolic data with the Garmin Biometric information. As a result, body Battery, High Heart Rate, and Resting Heart Rate data from Garmin will be directly accessible within the Lumen app. The second phase was announced on May 12th and is rolling out.
Using the feedback from both devices will allow to improve the way users train and eat. Ultimately, metabolic flexibility should improve with all the health benefits associated. According to Garmin Health Global Product Lead Travis Johnson. “The combination of real-time metabolic data and biometric data is a powerful tool that lets you make informed decisions about how to fuel your body and achieve your fitness goals faster.”
With 20% of Americans wearing a smartwatch, combining data from different devices is the ultimate goal for reaching the full potential of Digital Health. Specialized apps such as the Apple Watch aim to do that, but it is difficult to find guidance and actionable advice from this flow of data so far. Combining Lumen and Garmin is certainly a first step in the right direction.