Using LSTM Networks and Future Gradient Values to Forecast Heart
Rate in Biking
Henry Gilbert, Jules White, Quchen Fu and Douglas C. Schmidt
Vanderbilt University, U.S.A.
Keywords:
Deep LSTM, Deep Neual Network, Heart Rate, Forecasting, Biking.
Abstract:
Heart Rate prediction in cycling potentially allows for more effective and optimized training for a given indi-
vidual. Utilizing a combination of feature engineering and hybrid Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models,
this paper provides two research contributions. First, it provides an LSTM model architecture that accurately
forecasts the heart rate of a bike rider up to 10 minutes into the future when given the future gradient values
of the course. Second, it presents a novel model success metric optimized for deriving a model’s accuracy
to predict heart rate while an athlete is zone training. These contributions provide the foundations for other
applications, such as optimized zone training and offline reinforcement models to learn fatigue embeddings.
1 INTRODUCTION
Monitoring intensity during exercise and training is
essential to optimize performance (Sylta et al., 2014).
Insufficient intensity during training yields slower or
negligible performance progression. Excessive in-
tensity, however, yields over-training and the poten-
tial for injury or performance degradation (Collinson
et al., 2001).
There are several metrics for measuring exercise
intensity, including heart rate, V02 max, and power
output (Dooley et al., 2017). Heart rate can be consis-
tently measured across all types of athletics, whereas
power output is exclusive to cycling. Likewise, heart
rate can be used as a reliable indicator of exercise in-
tensity (Jeukendrup and Diemen, 1998). Our intensity
prediction efforts therefore focus on future heart rate.
Yet, predicting heart rate on a given cycling course
is a nuanced and difficult problem. In particular, there
are various external factors that can not be accounted
for, even given the geographical data for a course. For
example, some materials require greater effort to ped-
dle across based on the material’s composition. More-
over, even excluding external course factors, there is
a need to account for cardiac drift, which is a contin-
ual rise or decline of heart rate after exercise due the
body’s internal temperature. (Dawson, 2005). In ad-
dition, there is inconsistency amongst humans, e.g.,
any data derived for training must account for the in-
evitable invariance caused by a person’s inability to
keep perfect pace or other intangible internal factors.
Research Question: Can deep Long Short-Term
Memory (LSTM) models be used to forecast biker
heart rates when given the future gradient val-
ues of the course? The ability for a model to accu-
rately forecast heart rate in the future can potentially
help improve the way athletes approach zone training.
Athletes today typically train reactively, i.e. if during
exercise their heart rate drops too low, they increase
intensity. If their heart rate becomes too high, they
decrease intensity (NEUFELD et al., 2019). This ap-
proach can be a sub-optimal and yield a constantly os-
cillating heart rate and a subsequently greater amount
of time spent outside the correct zone for training.
In contrast, if athletes can accurately predict their
heart rate minutes into the future, they can proactively
adjust their intensity to stay within the desired zone.
For example, if a model forecasts an athlete’s heart
rate will spike out of a given zone due to an upcom-
ing hill in two minutes, the athlete can proactively de-
crease their effort to lower their heart rate to prepare
for the increased effort of the hill. By limiting heart
rate oscillation, the time in the correct zone can in-
crease, thereby optimizing training performance.
Moreover, future heart rate prediction can be ap-
plied to an offline learning model when given enough
contextual data. For example, a model can learn the
embedding of intensity for a given athlete and apply
that learning to optimally indicate when the athlete
should speed up or slow down to ensure their heart
rate remains in a given zone. This is a novel ap-
proach that fundamentally contrasts with a coach re-
Gilbert, H., White, J., Fu, Q. and Schmidt, D.
Using LSTM Networks and Future Gradient Values to Forecast Heart Rate in Biking.
DOI: 10.5220/0011541800003321
In Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support (icSPORTS 2022), pages 53-60
ISBN: 978-989-758-610-1; ISSN: 2184-3201
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2022 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
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