AI Bike: Get Fit in Nine Minutes

The Carol bike resembles other gym exercise bikes, offering adjustability, a screen for guidance, and a rear wheel for resistance.

While its engineering is top-notch, what truly sets it apart is the unique sessions it offers through its advanced AI workout program.

The primary aim of the Carol bike is to minimize exercise time while maximizing health benefits, promising results equivalent to a 45-minute run in just 8 minutes and 40 seconds using a method called Reduced Exertion High-Intensity Interval Training (REHIT).

Although this claim may seem incredible, it's supported by scientific studies.

REHIT works by pushing the body into "fight or flight" mode during intense exercise, significantly increasing energy use, depleting glycogen stores, and causing physiological changes that boost fitness and strength.

Carol’s AI algorithm customizes each workout based on your fatigue rate, sprint speed, age, weight, and past performances to ensure constant improvement.

The bike guides you through each session, automatically adjusting resistance.

Though challenging, these brief high-intensity efforts are manageable, allowing for a full workout, including warm-up and cool-down, in under 12 minutes.

Scientific validation

In a "fight or flight" situation, muscles must use 25-30% of their glycogen—the body's emergency energy source—releasing key molecules like AMPK and PGC-1a, which signal the body to improve fitness.

Regular engagement in this type of exercise encourages the development of mitochondria, increases blood plasma volume, and strengthens the heart, enhancing both aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

While similar outcomes can be achieved through traditional high-intensity or longer endurance workouts, scientists argue that Carol bike's short, intense sessions offer a quicker route to these benefits.

The Carol website is replete with links to peer-reviewed research supporting its claims.

For instance, Western Colorado University conducted a study comparing short REHIT sessions on a Carol Bike with five weekly 30-minute moderate-intensity workouts.

After eight weeks, the Carol Bike group saw a VO2max increase of 12.3% compared to 6.9% in the other group.

For avid cyclists, five 30-minute sessions might seem minimal, meeting the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise by organizations like the NHS—a target reached by around 63% of the population according to Sport England.

However, many struggle to meet this recommendation due to time constraints.

Co-founder Ulrich Dempfle was inspired by Dr. Michael Mosley’s HIT training demonstration on TV, realizing the potential for making fitness accessible by reducing time commitment and complexity.

With a mechanical engineering background, Dempfle's solution was to develop a bike suited for home or office use, offering high resistance for brief, intense efforts. AI learning ensures tailored progression without requiring much user input.

The core CAROL session involves two 20-second sprints with low-intensity warm-up and cool-down, lasting under nine minutes.

Research shows this REHIT style has numerous health benefits, including reducing Type 2 diabetes risk factors.

It's particularly advantageous for those unable to meet their exercise needs or who find it challenging to do so, but does it benefit regular cyclists?

Advantages of Carol bike’s short workouts

Knowing that even brief sessions count encourages more frequent use without the need for specialized attire. It's always available for quick sessions, adding up over time.

On-screen prompts keep you engaged and motivated, minimizing planning. Automatic AI adjustment ensures continual progress, and the bike is easily adjustable for different users, making it beneficial for everyone in the household.

Drawbacks of Carol bike’s short workouts

The bike is a significant investment and not easily movable like a static trainer, requiring a dedicated space, which can be a challenge for those with limited living area.

We gave it a try!

In true Carol bike fashion, I completed my first session wearing jeans and slippers.

Setup was minimal, and the on-screen instructions, particularly those on breath control, were calming and easy to follow.

The sprints were demanding enough to feel effective but brief, avoiding sweat or extensive recovery, making them doable anytime.

This convenience was a major appeal; I could quickly fit in a session between calls, while waiting for food to cook, or needing a break from screens, without extensive preparation. Even with a turbo trainer setup, I wouldn't have done this.

The on-screen guidance and short sessions make it feasible to engage in short exercises rather than thinking, "I don't have time for that," with these small sessions eventually contributing to fitness gains.

The bottom line

Being inactive poses significant health risks today. Regular, brief movement is crucial for health, and the Carol bike facilitates convenient, intense workouts that can be done in everyday clothes.

It's ideal for those with limited time who can spare 6-12 minutes for fitness gains. Working from home, it serves as an effective screen break tool.

For serious cyclists, the sessions might seem too brief and easy—they won’t make you a racing champion.

However, for those facing time constraints and aiming to maintain health, watching progress is motivating, and the science supporting the sessions is convincing.

Source: cyclingweekly

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.