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Health is arguably one of—if not the most—integral components of any developed economy, and there’s little doubt that it’s in need of a technological revolution, thanks in no small part to increasing expectations for personalized patient care and higher standards of service.

Knowledge is power, and it’s the engine fueling change. And advanced technology will unquestioningly play a vital role in the healthcare industry. Today, technology’s importance in healthcare can’t be denied. Below are some of the ways in which tech has and continues to transform the industry as we know it.

Big Data

Big data essentially refers to large and complicated sets of information that need to be analyzed and processed carefully. It is used to gain valuable insight using custom healthcare software development solutions to help streamline workflows and operations and establish future policies. Some of the ways in which it can serve the healthcare sector are the following:

Staffing

With big data, healthcare facilities can study their admission rates and allow administrators to identify and predict future rates with greater accuracy. Depending on the data or information collected, it may also highlight areas in their operations that could face their maximum admissions to ensure that they allocate enough resources and staff to handle the patients. Doing so can reduce waiting times in the ER, lower costs, and enhance patient care.

Fewer Medical Errors

With detailed patient records, utilizing big data helps healthcare providers analyze any inconsistencies or flag gaps and errors between patient health and treatment or medication plan. It can also help alert medical practitioners beforehand for any potential risks and mistakes. For example, if a patient has an allergic reaction to specific medications, analyzing big data will highlight it to ensure that it’s avoided.

Fosters Preventative Patient Care

More often than not, a sizable percentage of patients going to the ER are recurring. Through data analysis, it’s possible to create a preventative plan so they don’t regularly go to the hospital.

Telehealth

Telehealth solutions have risen to a position of prominence, thanks in no small part to the need for patient care amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Even as the pandemic subsides, virtual care has become invaluable, especially for patients who are unable to travel and meet with their healthcare providers due to proximity issues.

For instance, there’s still a risk of seeing patients who have contagious illnesses, regardless of the preventative measures taken. Or perhaps people who live in remote or rural areas are too sick to travel. Online video visits make the consultation less risky and more convenient.

Wearables

In the digital age of the modern world, patients are more involved in maintenance and prevention rather than merely controlling the damage. And their increasing demands for frequent and updated information regarding their health have brought about wearable devices into the fold. It’s expected for the market for wearable devices to significantly grow more in the coming years.

From exercise trackers to heart sensors, patients can gather information to help medical specialists find the right treatment methods.

Conclusion

Technology has always been at the forefront of most industries, and the healthcare sector is no exception. As tech continues to evolve and advance, healthcare will become even more dependent on it to operate optimally, leading to more efficient processes and a more consistent quality of care.

The shift in training attitudes over the past few years has been palpable. Where “no pain, no gain” was once a phrase we’d see commonly on nonsensical posters and spewing from the mouths of sweaty gym bros, it’s now just a cringey core memory that pops into our psyche from time to time. Did I really think that was motivating at one point in my life? 

“All through the 90’s and early 2000’s there was a big fitness boom that came about and a push for people to stay active,” says Susy Delgado, founder of the California-based KW Recovery Lab. For two decades she’s worked in physical therapy clinics and clinical settings as an athletic trainer where she has seen the rise in weekend warriors and everyday athletes firsthand.

With that rise, one puzzle piece was missing: recovery. “It’s definitely well woven into our culture now to keep moving, but with no direct recipe or pathway or access to be able to keep moving comfortably,” she says. Without focus on recovery, that movement won’t matter.

What Is Recovery Anyway?

In 2018 when she opened the Recovery Lab she’d field many confused phone calls about what exactly the business was for. Now in 2022, Target has a “Recovery” aisle. Delgado is fielding fewer questions while the recovery business is booming.

Researchers are also trying to understand how and why recovery benefits performance at the same time recreational athletes want to know how to utilize all the biometric health monitoring data now at their fingertips thanks to Whoop, Oura, Biostrap, Garmin, and the like.

Take this recent study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The researchers wanted to answer the question, does ditching the digital training plan in favor of personalized recovery days equate to improvements in performance? For the recreational runners participating in the study, the answer was, yes.

Of the 30 runners in the small study, 14 were put into a training group following a standard 10K training plan. The other 16 were given individualized plans where their training load was either increased, decreased, or maintained twice per week based on their recovery metrics. And while both training groups ran faster 10K times at the end of the study, those with the individual plan saw nearly double the improvement in their times than the group following the standard training plan.

Nocturnal heart rate variability (HRV), muscle soreness, heart-rate running speed index, and subjective feelings of fatigue were the markers used to determine a runner’s level of recovery. Based on those markers, some of the runners with the personalized plans ended up with either more demanding or less demanding training plans and still saw marked improvement.

The parasympathetic nervous system is generally responsible for rest, recovery, and repair, which is why it can be helpful to track information related to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, like heart rate variability and resting heart rate. (Of note, the Whoop strap uses HRV and resting heart rate, as well as sleep performance to calculate recovery scores. Oura uses HRV, resting heart rate, and body temperature to calculate a readiness score. High HRV indicates more parasympathetic activity–a rested state–while a low HRV indicates the body is still in stress mode.)

RELATED: Alcohol Can Tank HRV, Resting Heart Rate, and Sleep

Taking Charge Of Recovery

While the technology is inching in the right direction, it’s also true that recovery data is not perfect, which is why runners should be empowered to take ownership of their own recovery.

Studies like this one beg the question, have we been paying enough attention to our recovery on a given day? Should we give ourselves greater flexibility in our training plans? And how do you do that if you don’t have the benefit of a coach or recovery wearable to cue you?

Some Recovery Basics

What does ‘recovery’ actually entail?

First, there is the musculoskeletal system, where we often feel soreness and pain from training. Damage done to muscles and connective tissue during a workout result in a diminished ability for those in question to function at a peak level until fully repaired. Muscle damage also depletes the ability to transport blood glucose, in turn depleting the ability to replenish glycogen stores. And those glycogen stores do need to be replenished, ideally before the next demanding run.

Last, metabolic byproducts that accumulate while running, like lactate, need time to flush out, otherwise it can hinder the electrical stimulus needed for muscle contraction.

Part of the enjoyment that comes from endurance training is in the self-discovery: figuring out what your body can and can’t do and how to condition it to do the things it couldn’t before. Delgado notes that an attitude of self-discovery can transform your recovery as well.

One way to start planning your recovery with the same intent as your training is to follow the FITT approach: Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type.

Frequency

How many days per week do you devote to recovery? Is there flexibility in your plan to schedule in more or less for what your body needs?

In the case of the study cited earlier, researchers checked in and modified runners’ plans only twice a week, which might be more feasible than trying to reorganize your training on a daily basis based on the previous day’s recovery.

Intensity

What intensity of recovery works best for you? Are you a legs-elevated couch potato? Or are you spending a rest day out cycling with the family? If you are focused on active recovery, think of how to limit the intensity of your workout in order to not overtrain.

Easy runs also play an important role in recovery, but only if you truly keep them easy, which Emily Bennewies, a running coach with Wellness in Motion in Boston, cites as her most essential rule of recovery. “I think everyone, regardless of where they’re at in their running, or what else might be happening besides running physically, that’s one thing we can all definitely do better.”

Time

There are three time periods of recovery that runners should account for: short-term (think between intervals), training recovery (the time between workouts), and long-term (the time you might take off after a race or large training block).

Running coaches like Bennewies can help you to block out and shift around rest days based on your ever-changing life schedule.

Type

Are you focused on active or passive recovery? What modalities will you be using to recover? Recovery is more than just the absence of training. Studies have shown that active recovery–light-intensity movements–return your body to a state of homeostasis faster than passive recovery.

There are many modalities you can use, all of which have some scientific backing behind them (ice baths, stretching, massage, compression, etc.). Delgado recommends focusing on what works best for you.

“If [there was] one thing that I learned in working with patients in the PT setting, it was that you could bring all the science and data to the person, but if psychologically, that person is just not comfortable with extreme heat, or extreme cold, they are not going to let it work in their favor,” she says.

At KW Recovery Lab when a new client is brought in, they can expect to learn about each type of equipment available, the recovery modalities, and the science behind each. But after a few months of experimenting, Delgado expects the athlete to know what the ideal practice is for them. “By month three, you are now an expert and you’re telling us what you need, instead of us telling you.”

She hopes that understanding how to use all the ‘tools’ in your personal recovery ‘toolbox’ is empowering to athletes.

RELATED: Your Watch Doesn’t Know How Much Recovery You Need

And it should go without saying that adequate sleep and fueling are essential in a runner’s recovery plan. According to a review of recovery research from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) scientific advisory panel, “the most important factor determining the timeframe to recovery is muscle glycogen replenishment.”

When asked what she thought the top priority in recovery should be, Nancy Gomes, a certified sports nutritionist simply stated it was eating and drinking enough. “Making sure, particularly female athletes, get adequate protein with some carbohydrates after they train as quickly as possible is key,” she says.

Consuming enough carbohydrates will refill those glycogen stores and protein will begin the muscle repair process.

Health wearables are also helping runners discover other nutrition habits that boost recovery on a personal level. Think of it as a micro-experiment where you are the test subject.

Through experimentation with her Whoop, Gomes has learned that on days when she is under-recovered, focusing on hydration, probiotics, and omega-3s does wonders for her. “Whoop has actually helped me determine those are some of the most important factors for me to help improve my recovery,” she says.

How To Tell if You Need More Recovery 

If you don’t have a biometric health device, there are still signs you can pay attention to that point to overtraining. The biggest red flag being a loss of period for people who menstruate, as well as chronic fatigue, which are both signs of low energy availability.

Research has shown that an elevated resting heart rate in tandem with decreased performance over a week’s time also indicates a state of increased stress.

Working with a running coach or sports nutritionist can help point out any blind spots you have in your recovery. “What we tend to see with really all types of athletes, even the most dedicated ones, is we can be stubborn sometimes with what we think we’re capable of, or what we want to be able to do and not always listen to our bodies,” says Bennewies.

Though she does look at HRV with the runners she coaches, Bennewies tends to stick to the tried and true method of self check-in, something anyone can do. “I think that is honestly the best gauge of if you’re ready to go out for whatever run, whether that be a couple of easy miles, whether that be some speed work, or whether that be a longer run.”

And sure, we all know how to handle the days when we wake up feeling on top of the world just as well as the days we feel like the living  dead. It’s the murky in-between days that are the problem, the days where you don’t know if a run will nudge you into overtraining or is just what you need to kick yourself into a higher gear.

Bennewies recommends setting check-in points along the run for days when you’re feeling iffy. Give yourself five minutes of running, for example. If that doesn’t feel good, you can turn back towards home and call it a day. If you feel alright, give it another five minutes and check back in.

“A good way to know if you’re under recovered is just feeling like you can’t necessarily hit the splits that you’re looking for,” says Bennewies. “Sometimes you can feel great and still not hit the split.”

Bennewies can usually guess how a runner feels based on the data she sees from the workout, but what matters most is how they say they feel. There’s no truer indication of your recovery than what your body is telling you.

And while there may not be an exact prescription for recovery yet, every time we move the needle toward training smarter not harder, it is a win for longevity in the sport.

LISTEN: Recovery Pitfalls with Christie Aschwanden

Potassium is a mineral of key importance for runners.  Alongside sodium, it balances electrolyte levels which help stave off muscle cramps as well as regulating heart rate. Making sure you have the right electrolytes in the summer and for long endurance runs, is part of a runner’s checklist. Now, a new 2022 study focused on women, delves into the positive impact of potassium rich diets on blood pressure. 

Women in particular may want to consider upping their potassium intake. If high blood pressure or heart health concerns are top of mind, here’s how potassium just might be able to balance out your nutrition. 

RELATED: Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Electrolytes

Potassium May Help Counter Your Salt iIntake

The first line of defense for your heart when you’re eating too much salt? It’s usually to cut back and slash the amount of salt you’re getting in every meal. However, new research suggests that countering salt intake with a different mineral may be of some help. 

A 2022 study published in European Heart Journal examined the impact of potassium-rich diets on heart health, and specifically blood pressure levels, for women. Researchers worked with 24,963 participants – 11,267 men and 13,696 women – between the ages of 40 and 79 years old. Each participant completed a lifestyle questionnaire, had their blood pressure measured, and gave lab samples to measure sodium and potassium intake. From there, they were divided into three groups: low, medium, and high, depending on their sodium and potassium levels.

The study’s researchers analyzed the link between potassium intake and blood pressure, and they discovered that as women consumed more potassium, their blood pressure went down. They then added sodium intake into the mix, finding that this positive relationship between potassium and blood pressure only occurred in women in the high sodium group.

Interestingly, there appeared to be no connection between potassium intake and blood pressure for male participants. Similarly, women in the medium and low sodium groups didn’t see potassium make much of a difference. 

More potassium, better heart health?

These findings might make you think the key to better heart health, and improved blood pressure, is simply getting more potassium. Well, it’s a little more complicated than that – but it could be a boon for women who are worried about high blood pressure as a risk factor for concerns like heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

The study’s researchers followed up with their participants 19.5 years after the initial data collection. 55 percent of those individuals were hospitalized or died as a result of cardiovascular disease (which can be tied to high blood pressure). Researchers examined the potential association between cardiovascular events and potassium intake; they found that individuals with the highest potassium levels had a 13 percent decreased risk of cardiovascular events. 

The difference was particularly stark for women – men saw a risk reduction of 7 percent, while women saw an 11 percent decrease. Interestingly, in these follow-up findings, researchers noted that salt intake didn’t appear to have an effect on the link between potassium intake and cardiovascular events. 

So, while the results suggest that getting plenty of potassium can potentially benefit women who are concerned about their cardiovascular health, the effect can vary. There may be a slightly bigger benefit for women who have high salt intake; however, potassium may offer an advantage in general when keeping overall cardiovascular risk in mind.

RELATED: How to Choose the Best Sports Drink for You as a Runner

How Women Can Take Advantage of Potassium’s Potential Benefits

Overall, it’s not a bad idea to keep potassium in mind when you’re looking at your overall nutrition. In fact, according to Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CPT, “The Dietary Guidelines for Americans include potassium (in addition to vitamin D, calcium, and fiber) as a nutrient of public health concern for the general U.S. population. While most people focus on watching sodium in their diets, they often overlook the importance of electrolytes (i.e. potassium) needed in proper balance in your body to keep your system running in tip top shape.” 

And you don’t need to go beyond food to get this potential heart-helper. As Shaw explains, “Those who eat a well-balanced, variety-filled diet can certainly meet [their] nutrient needs for potassium without having to pop a supplement.” 

Make potassium part of your daily diet by working to reach the daily recommended amount. For adult women aged 19 and older, the National Institutes of Health recommends 2,600 mg per day. While dietary supplements can help, the best method is to eat potassium-rich foods. Some of best include:

• Dried apricots (755 mg per serving)
• Cooked lentils (731 mg per serving)
• Acorn squash (644 mg per serving)
• Dried prunes (636 mg per serving)

Not a fan of those foods? Shaw points out there are plenty of options for everyone’s taste or food preferences. “While bananas tend to be the number one food discussed when people talk about potassium (and rightfully so, they do pack around 400 mg per serving), there are other dietary staples in many cultural diets that are packed with potassium,” she explains. “For instance, a white potato packs  610 mg in a medium baked potato, or 13% of the daily value of potassium! And, for those who prefer to drink their nutrients, 100% orange juice and 100% pomegranate juice have around 500 mg per cup.”

Try these recipes if you’re looking for fresh ways to get your fill of potassium for potential heart health perks:

Featured recipe: Grapefruit and Smoked Salmon Salad