Lingo CGM aids marathon fueling, yields five-minute PB

Marie Claire UK on May 17 published a first-person account by senior health editor Ally Head saying Abbott’s Lingo Glucose Biosensor changed how she approached marathon fueling and recovery over a three-month training block. Head wrote that the arm-worn sensor, paired with the Lingo app and advice from Pamela Nisevich Bede, a global nutritionist at Lingo by Abbott, helped her adjust what she ate before, during and after runs. She said the result was a five-minute personal best at the 130th Boston Marathon last month. Abbott markets Lingo as an over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor for adults 18 and older who are not on insulin, with app-based coaching and glucose trend data. ### Who is making the claim, and what exactly did she say changed? Ally Head wrote in Marie Claire UK that she used the Lingo device for three months during a 14-week Boston Marathon training block after a difficult recovery from a broken fifth metatarsal in December 2024. She said she had questions after the Valencia Marathon about whether a painful abdominal issue had been caused by fueling, strength or time away from running. (marieclaire.co.uk) Head said the sensor helped show how her body was processing fuel during workouts. In the article, she linked that feedback to changes in day-to-day eating, race fueling and recovery choices, and said she would not have made some of those adjustments without seeing the glucose data. Her account is a personal testimonial, not a clinical trial or company study. (marieclaire.co.uk) ### What is Lingo, according to Abbott and the FDA record? Abbott said in June 2024 that Lingo is a consumer biowearable that tracks blood glucose for up to 14 days and sends data to a smartphone app with personalized insights and coaching. The company said it launched in the United Kingdom in early 2024 and planned U.S. availability in the summer of 2024. (marieclaire.co.uk) The FDA clearance record says the Lingo Glucose System is an over-the-counter integrated continuous glucose monitor intended to measure, record, analyze and display glucose values in people 18 years and older not on insulin. The record says it may help users understand how diet and exercise affect glucose excursions, while Abbott’s support pages say the product is not intended for diagnosis or management of disease, including diabetes. (abbott.com) ### What kind of feedback does the app actually provide? Abbott’s Lingo site says the biosensor streams glucose data directly to a phone and offers daily, weekly and monthly snapshots. The company says the app is designed to show the impact of eating habits, identify which foods work for a user, and turn those observations into habit changes. Abbott also says the app provides personalized insights and coaching rather than raw numbers alone. (accessdata.fda.gov) In its product materials, the company describes spikes and crashes in glucose as patterns users can monitor while changing diet or exercise. Marie Claire’s account said those prompts were used in the context of marathon preparation and recovery. (hellolingo.com) ### Does the story show that a CGM improves marathon performance? Marie Claire’s article does not show that Abbott’s device improves marathon performance for runners generally. The piece reports one runner’s experience, and Abbott’s own support materials say the program does not guarantee that everyone will achieve the same results because responses vary by individual. (abbott.com) The strongest reported outcome in the piece is the five-minute personal best that Head said she achieved in Boston. She attributed part of that result to better fueling and recovery decisions informed by the sensor and app, but the article also describes other factors, including a full training block, expert input from Bede and recovery from an earlier injury. (marieclaire.co.uk) ### Why are runners and wellness users paying attention to glucose trackers? Abbott has positioned Lingo beyond diabetes care and into the broader health and wellness market. The company said in June 2024 that Lingo would let consumers “improve their overall health and wellness” by seeing how food and activity affect glucose in real time. (marieclaire.co.uk) The product is sold in short plans rather than as a long-term medical prescription. Abbott’s current Lingo site lists a two-week plan at $54 with one biosensor and a four-week plan at $89 with two biosensors, and says the sensor is available over the counter with no prescription required. ### What should readers watch next? Abbott’s website says Lingo remains available as a 14-day over-the-counter biosensor with app-based tracking and coaching for adults 18 and older not on insulin. (abbott.com) Marie Claire’s article is available on the publication’s health and fitness pages under Ally Head’s byline, and Abbott’s product and safety pages set out the device’s intended use and limits. (hellolingo.com)