[Exclusive Interview] This Fitness Startup Is Leveraging Technology To Provide Nutrition Coaching

Recently, we interacted with Mr. Ketan Mavinkurve, Founder & CEO, Alpha Coach, and asked him his views on nutrition, and how his startup is inciting a revolution using technology.

1. Please give us a quick rundown of the business, its specialities, and the services it offers.

Alpha Coach, founded in 2021, is a Mumbai-based tech-driven online nutrition and fitness coaching platform.

We have developed a technology that gives our users completely customized nutrition plans and keeps them engaged

throughout the journey!

The core application is designed to help people lose the first 10% of their body weight by providing them with the right tools without the rigidity of a diet – these plans also adapt to the user’s food preferences, metabolism, and lifestyle.

Users can then choose whether they want the DIY app-first approach or work with an expert human coach with higher accountability.

Alpha Coach ELITE

Most need help finding motivation, discipline, or the right fitness program. As a team of certified personal fitness coaches, we design the fitness programs our clients love while getting the results they dream of. We do this by focusing on nutrition, training, and long-term Habits through our proprietary 3RT process. So whatever fitness goal you have in mind, we will get you there effectively and frustration-free. So, say ‘no!’ to one-size-fits-all fitness programs. Instead, get a customized solution that works for you. 

Alpha Coach EVOLVE 

Alpha Coach EVOLVE is our 100% FREE diet coach app, our second product after our flagship premium hyper-personalized one-to-one fitness and nutrition coaching – Alpha Coach Elite. The first-of-its-kind application is best suited for people who want to manage their body weight through a healthy combination of proper nutrition and activity based on their preferences and lifestyle. The patent-pending algorithm in the app curates personalized calorie and macro recommendations for users based on the weekly changes in their metabolism. 

In addition, EVOLVE is the fastest food-logging app and comes with a robust, verified database of 18,000 foods and regional recipes. ALPHA COACH EVOLVE is a fully automated coaching platform without a coach that is affordable, accessible, and personalized and is currently available on GOOGLE PLAY STORE and will be available on APPLE STORE by 1st week of December 2022. 

  2. The increase of fitness enthusiasts due to technology. Comment

Amid the pandemic, it is no surprise that technology has increasingly found its way into fitness routines. Consumer mindsets have significantly changed, and gym-goers are more proactive than ever about their overall wellness, encompassing everything from exercise, healthy eating, mindfulness, and sleep. Of course, fitness apps have been around much before the pandemic, but the shift is now more pronounced from both perspectives: the consumer (gym-goers/ fitness enthusiasts) and the service providers (gyms/trainers.)

Fitness apps have seen a meteoric rise during the pandemic, demonstrating just how popular fitness has become; as a result, people are now always on the lookout for science-backed solutions, seamlessly adaptable to them and easy on the pocket.

3. How Nutrition Apps Powered by AI Help Fitness Addicts Manage Calorie Intake.

As the name suggests, AI uses machine intelligence to learn specific aspects unique to those users. Everything from their current lifestyle, sleep patterns, diet, activity levels, heart rates, and many more parameters can be mapped, compared, and analyzed to drive deep insights into the individual patterns & progress markers.

Using this information, AI can tailor nutrition programs, give you food recommendations and insights about your progress, calculate your metabolism and adjust the plan periodically. So, you get a plan built for you that works and, most importantly, a plan you enjoy doing!

Maintaining a healthy and fit lifestyle begins with food or the fuel we put inside us. Despite this, most people need to learn what and how much to eat. With an AI-powered diet plan, you have this all laid out for you, and if you log your foods accurately, it will be unlikely that you’d end up snacking or overindulging. Following a simple program diligently with food logging at the core for 30 days can work wonders.

AI also enables scale with algorithms to accurately derive insights from food, activity, sleep, and other parameters. With machine learning and data analytics, these systems can accurately calculate users’ metabolism and make appropriate adjustments on the back of complex data. Personalized plans work because people stick to them longer and see the benefits from long-term adherence. This one change can help millions avoid lifestyle disorders such as diabetes, and heart disease, amongst others.

4. What market-related future plans do you have?

Evolve has already crossed 1.6 lakh downloads and is on track now to hit ten lakhs within the next 8-9 months. Our current data set shows impressive retention and engagement, with users beginning to deliver weight loss results in a matter of weeks. We’re confident of being able to use this platform substantially in the next year and taking more giant strides into the fitness industry. We have some incredible new and exciting features and modules being launched over the next few months, which will allow us to take our nutrition & fitness to a whole new level.

5. Describe EVOLVE, a new free Adaptive Intelligence-based diet coaching tool that you just released.

Evolve is the fastest food-logging app globally and is equipped with an adaptive intelligence engine that helps users make better food choices. The application uses AI/ML technologies that account for user habits, lifestyles, eating preferences, and activity tracking and adapts to users over time. The algorithm also predicts a timeline for the user to reach their body-weight goals, following the recommended plan.

With a goal-based approach, Alpha Coach Evolve helps users lose weight, gain weight, or maintain weight. The patent-pending algorithm that backs the application is the first that calculates the users’ metabolism based on their food and body-weight logs. Then, based on the daily food and weight logs, the system automatically makes program adjustments for the users every week. It also seamlessly integrates with multiple wearables via Google Fit, enabling activity tracking.

The key highlight of the app is the “Daily Alpha Score” – a no-BS indicator of the program’s compliance. In addition, the application guarantees result in the predicted timeline if the user scores a Daily Alpha Score above 70 every day. What makes Alpha Coach unique is its insights and recommendations using data, which makes it customized to every individual.

The closest analogy here could be that of a family doctor, who knows your entire medical history and becomes the best professional to suggest the best solutions for you. It’s the same with Alpha Coach Evolve; while other apps claim to be “the best”, they are usually generic; on the hand, Alpha Coach will become the best app “for you”.  

The response has been encouraging, with over 1.6 lakh downloads within four months. The app also has 1700= reviews and is rated at 4.6* on the Google Play Store, and it will launch on the iOS AppStore in early December.

6. What are the business’s five-year goals?

Evolve has already crossed 1.6 lakh downloads and is on track now to hit ten lakhs within the next 8-9 months. Our current data set shows impressive retention and engagement, with users beginning to deliver weight loss results in a matter of weeks. We’re confident of being able to use this platform substantially in the next year and taking more giant strides into the fitness industry. We have some incredible new and exciting features and modules being launched over the next few months, which will allow us to take our nutrition & fitness to a whole new level.