The Smart Fit Method, a fitness concept that offers personalized training for longevity and health span with studios in Park City and Millcreek, has been selected by researchers at Arizona State University, in collaboration with specialists from the University of South Florida, for a study aimed at reversing human biological age.
The research initiative, led by ASU Team Healthspan, will serve as a qualifying effort for the XPRIZE Healthspan competition, which challenges global teams to reverse biological aging by 10 to 20 years within one year.
As part of the collaboration, The Smart Fit Method is donating its proprietary, AI-driven equipment and protocols to support the study, which will evaluate whether a structured intervention can measurably improve key markers of aging.
“This exciting partnership allows us to validate, at the highest level of scientific rigor, what we’ve observed for years with our training protocol’s ability to reverse people’s biological age,” said Rob Darnbrough, who co-founded The Smart Fit Method with his son, Connor Darnbrough. “It’s a privilege to have this world-class research team competing for one of the most prestigious prizes in health innovation test our protocols, equipment and approach exactly as designed because the data already demonstrates their effectiveness.”
ASU Team Healthspan evaluated multiple fitness methodologies before selecting The Smart Fit Method for its ability to meet the demands of clinical research and personalized intervention.
“I do like the fact that Smart Fit has a means to track everything from reps to the length of time, and the weight, while tailoring regimen’s to each individual’s physiology,” said Clinton Hughes, owner of Youth Renewal Sciences and the lead of ASU Team Healthspan. “Our objective is to deliver the benefits of strength, cardio and functional fitness in the shortest time possible, and Smart Fit checks all those boxes.”
The team said Smart Fit Method stood out for several key capabilities:
Comprehensive data tracking of repetitions, duration and resistance. Personalized calibration tailored to each participant’s physiology
Dual-action, push-pull resistance technology to maximize efficiency
Streamlined implementation for consistent research protocols
“If we can prove, with data, that it’s possible to reverse the damage accumulated over time and extend healthy years by decades, it will be a gamechanger for how health is approached,” Hughes said.
The initial phase of the XPRIZE Healthspan study is underway with a 60-day pilot with 20 participants over the age of 55. The protocol combines:
The Smart Fit Method training
Targeted nutrition
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Participants will be evaluated using clinically relevant markers of biological age, including:
Grip strength
Gait speed
VO2 max
Immune function
Cognitive performance
If selected among the top 10 teams, ASU Team Healthspan will advance to a year-long trial in 2027 involving 200 participants.
The XPRIZE Healthspan competition is supported by a scientific advisory board and judging panel composed of leading experts in aging and longevity research, including: Dr. Steven Austad, endowed chair in healthy aging at the University of Alabama; Dr. Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, scientific director at the National Institute on Aging; and Dr. Morgan Levine, a principal investigator who works on biological age measurement.
The Smart Fit Method was designed for individuals over 55, focusing on improving strength, cardiovascular health and functional capacity through low-impact, high-efficiency training.
“Our system creates personalized protocols that adapt to each individual’s physiology while tracking every aspect of performance,” said Connor Darnbrough. “This isn’t just about fitness. iI’s about fundamentally reversing biological aging.”
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