Lactate threshold is touted as one of the most effective performance indicators. For the everyday athlete, however, lactate threshold tests remain extremely expensive and cumbersome. New company BSX Insight created a consumer device that makes measuring your lactate threshold simple, actionable, and affordable, meaning you can use it everyday to push you further in your training or competition.
The BSX Insight device attaches to your leg via a mount on a specially designed compression sleeve. A sensor made up of LED lights shines light into your calf muscle as you exercise. As the light passes through the muscle tissue, it is reshaped by elements within the tissue to produce a unique signal that contains information about the local metabolic activity.
This profile is then processed by embedded algorithms to analyze five different identifiable bio signals that indicate how hard you are working. When combined together, these are used to accurately generate a lactate threshold curve. Real-time monitoring of this curve allows you to always know where you are along that curve and your proximity to the crucial threshold.
Industry experts report that training with lactate threshold can increase performance up to 5% to 25%, which could mean shaving a full 40 minutes off your marathon PR. Real time information from BSX Insight is sent wirelessly (ANT+ or Bluetooth 4.0) to your sports watch so you can adjust your workout intensity accordingly, with recommendations to slow down or speed up.
BSX Insight not only measures your lactate threshold, but also your heart rate, pace, cadence, and fuel reserves. All of this data gives a good indication of your current fitness profile and where you may need to focus.
After your workout, BSX Insight automatically syncs with the company's trainBSX web-based software for analysis, with other platform connections planned for the future (Strava, please!).
For $179, you can pre-order your own BSX Insight that comes with the running profile and 6-months free premium access to trainBSX. For $249, you can pre-order the multi-sport (running and cycling) version. The expected delivery date is December 2014.