App Profile: Hexis Live

Mr. Parker__

Rating: 3/5

This app has great potential for athletes that want to monitor both the amount and timing of carb intake to maximize their performance. Unfortunately though the app has serious flaws at this point that need to be addressed. The integration with TrainingPeaks is broken, although the developer notes it is being addressed. While the app is not intended to be a calorie tracker, it falls into that category by necessity, and lacks many features that are standard on other calorie counting apps such as favorite foods and meals. These features are “coming soon” in the app, but should have been fully implemented on launch, especially given the comparatively steep subscription price.

d_holeshot

Rating: 4/5

This app is more than a macro tracker for athletes. It offers guidance for macro timing for elite athletes based on when workouts are scheduled. And it purports to offer a performance boost for adhering to that guidance. The integration with TrainingPeaks is a great feature. Having my projected calories burned automatically incorporated into my daily nutrition plan is one area where this app sets itself apart. The UX is pretty good, too. However, the app’s focus on nutrient timing based on workout timing is more than I need. I already know to fuel before, during (endurance training only), and after my workouts. The app requires me to schedule my workouts so that each meal’s macros and calories can be determined. I have a busy, evolving daily schedule. And most days I don’t know when I’ll get my strength training or cycling workouts in. I found the requirement to schedule my workouts in the app to be a barrier to using it. Scheduling my workouts at different times of the day changes the macros for different meals. So if my training schedule is variable or needs to flex, my macros for a given meal change from one day to the next. This makes meal planning with the app very difficult. I found I stick to a nutrition plan better when I eat the same or similar things for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With the workout timings not being predictable, using the app for nutrition just became untenable. And at the end of the day, I’m better off with an app that I’ll use. Any performance benefit I personally might gain from optimizing nutrition timing is window dressing if I can’t even hit my daily macros using the app. (And I’m not so sure the research literature is settled on nutrition timing beyond fueling before, during, and after workouts anyway.) Also, it’d be nice to track daily weight with the app. It seemed like users have to update their weight goals every time they’d want to update their weight, which is a bit clumsy. Maybe a few improvements could make this app better. But I feel like the main selling point for the app, nutrient timing, would need to be sacrificed to make that happen. At which point, MyFitnessPal will get you there anyway.

Llawicak

Rating: 5/5

The concept behind this app is great! It’s a newer app so there are some minor kinks here and there as a result, but the developers are consistently isolating and addressing them. As an athlete I haven’t had any major issues with the app and the benefits/usefulness so far outweigh any minor “new app” problems.