Oct 5, 2017Setting the Pace For Athletes
Every athlete has a different response to training. With the Firstbeat Sports heart rate, training load, and recovery monitoring platform, coaches can see and analyze each athlete’s unique response to training. The result is a significant advantage as they work to better individualize training plans and better prepare athletes to perform their best on game day. “Consistent training load and consistent recovery has shown to be a good way to maintain readiness and to prevent injury,” says Firstbeat Distributor John Lally. “Firstbeat’s internal training load monitoring and Quick Recovery monitoring allows a coaching staff to track rolling training loads—acute to chronic work ratios—as well as recovery status so that this optimal balance can possibly be achieved.”
Firstbeat provides coaches with real-time training load data including aerobic and anaerobic Training Effect (on a 1 to 5 scale in increments of 1/10 where each level has physiological meaning) and TRIMP (Training Impulse), which models the blood lactate accumulation curve. Firstbeat also provides a 3-minute Quick Recovery measurement that analyzes the HRV (heart ratevariability) for each athlete and scales the HRV values for easy-to-interpret readiness scores (0% – 100%). The system’s Team Receiver can collect heart rate data on as many as 100 athletes up to 200 meters away.
Firstbeat’s Bodyguard 2 device is used to collect overnight sleep data and analyze levels of stress and recovery by providing measurable and accurate feedback describing the athlete’s responses to training load stress as well as other stressors in life. With Firstbeat’s group reporting coaches can view the average training loads and recovery scores for the team as well as each individual’s data. This feedback can lead to essential discussions among the staff where key inferences can be made. From the group and individual reports, strength and conditioning coaches and position coaches can set appropriate training intensity targets for each day and plan recovery periods intelligently. Athletes can also be educated on their heart rate and recovery information, increasing accountability for daily lifestyle management while enhancing focus and readiness.
“We incorporate client-requested features and tools, creating a product that is reliable, meaningful, and easy to apply,” says Lally. “We are agile in our approach to optimizing our products and services, and update our software regularly to handle the needs of coaches and athletes worldwide.”
