Iris de Hoogh, personalized health specialist at applied scientific research organization TNO, discussed the topic in a presentation at the Active Nutrition Summit last week (October 9 – 11).
Customized process
To develop a personalized healthcare system, Hoogh explained that TNO first obtains information such as body biomarkers and lifestyle data based on the consumer’s desired outcome, obtained through blood tests, portable devices or behavioral questionnaires.
She said the health benefit of interest must first be identified before the algorithm, whether sporting or performance goals, and any associated barriers and limiting factors.
De Hoogh told participants in Amsterdam that measurement points must then be decided, emphasizing the importance of real-time measurement and feedback for more actionable monitoring and personalized interventions.
“At TNO, we are doing a lot of research in this area using wearable devices such as heart rate monitors and continuous glucose monitoring, which can be used to model trends in blood glucose profiles in a personalized way. But we know from our own research that the influence of contextual factors on glucose levels, such as physical activity and sleep, varies greatly between individuals.
“So for one person it may be very important to focus on their sleep to balance their glucose levels, while for others it may be their physical activity level,” she explained.
Subsequent user-specific information can then be translated into personalized advice, which it says can be knowledge and/or data-driven.
“While data-driven approaches can collect large data sets, they have drawbacks because tools like AI can be influenced by bias or confounds. Additionally, this amount of data often cannot be truly interpreted. So we get a result but we don’t really know the mechanism behind it or whether we can trust it. It is very important to validate the solution in a real context before its commercialization,” she stressed.
She added that it is also important to consider the type of data used for knowledge-based solutions, including only systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs, as well as existing health claims of the EFSA which already benefit from strong scientific support.
Personalized intervention
She expressed the importance of personalizing subsequent recommendations based on personality and preferences, with a study concluding that advice was rated higher if it was tailored to the individual’s specific personality using the “big five” personality traits.
“It is also important to consider behavior change techniques, such as motivational interviewing used by dietitians and goal setting to increase commitment to the advice given. You can also help them self-monitor their behavior to see if they are on track to achieve their goals. Feedback and rewards can be very effective.
“You can also adapt your interventions or the way you support them over time. You may want to challenge the individual to set a more ambitious goal, but if that doesn’t work, you can help them set a more realistic goal,” she added.
Regarding personalized sports supplementation, Hoogh said the potential is still limited due to the fact that research is still in its infancy. However, she noted one study investigate factors that may modify the response to supplementation to improve blood alkalosis.
She explained: “It has become clear that the dose and timing of supplementation is an important modifying factor and that blood sodium bicarbonate levels differ greatly between individuals, as well as gastrointestinal disorders. -associated intestinal tract. Training status, genetics, type and duration of training also play a role in the effectiveness of the supplement.
Case studies
Hoogh highlighted TNO’s range of partnerships with personalization companies, highlighting app-based sports nutrition company ‘The Athlete’s Foodcoach’, which is currently used by various sports clubs and amateur athletes.
With ongoing support from a nutrition coach, she explained that the service first collects demographic and training information which results in the calculation of a nutrition plan. Finished recipes are then created and can be ordered and delivered to training grounds.
She explained another partnership with food production company “IMAGINE”, which combines a personalized advice system with digital food manufacturing technology resulting in personalized 3D printed snacks.
“There are several bases of use for this, but one of them is for the military where the goal is to help soldiers increase their performance and endurance. So this involves a soldier entering their demographic and personal data which is stored securely in a portal. The soldier then obtains information on his state of health as well as nutritional advice and the 3D printed snack.
“The Soldier can select certain key benefit areas to target, including endurance, injury recovery, digestive health, mental health and immunity. They can also enter their workout for the day, whether it’s walking or strength training, so those nutritional recommendations can be linked to it,” she explained.
