BASED ON 20 YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Pioneer in Physiological Analytics and HRV Analysis
For more than two decades Firstbeat has been a pioneer in the use of physiological analytics to improve sports performance and well-being. Based on years of research we’ve developed an analysis of physiological measures to provide accurate insights into exercise, stress, recovery, and sleep.
To date, sports teams in most competitive arenas are utilizing Firstbeat Sports to optimize the performance of the players. The physiological metrics and data export opportunities combined with Firstbeat sensors allows the same platform to be used in applied physiological research globally.
4M+ records Physiological database
80+ SCIENTIFIC LAB RESEARCH PROJECTS
300+ PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
Firstbeat Options for Research
1
Exercise, Training and Sports Coaching Related Research: Firstbeat Sports
Utilize advanced physiological analytics provided by Firstbeat for tracking key physiological metrics about training intensity, load and recovery.
2
Lifestyle, Stress, Recovery, Sleep, and Wellbeing Related Research: Firstbeat Life
Utilize advanced physiological analytics provided by Firstbeat for tracking stress, recovery, sleep, physical activity, VO2max etc.
3
HRV related Research: Bodyguard 3 device
Collect raw RR-interval, 3D acceleration and/or ECG data with an accurate device for your research.
1. Exercise, Training and Sports Coaching Related Research: Firstbeat Sports
Actionable Insights of Critical Performance Metrics
Collect and monitor physiological data in real time to understand invidual responses
Simple set-up – Focus on the session, not the technology
Data that matters – Track internal and external load in real time and post-analysis
Collect & access everywhere – At practice, in the gym, in games, during remote training
Live monitoring for groups
Observe individual responses to training in real time
Quick recovery test
Measure the daily readiness and recovery with HRV based 3min quick recovery test
Remote training
Let end users to collect data remotely by using the Sports sensor or Garmin watches.
Daily sleep and recovery monitoring
24h measurements with professional grade HRV device (Bodyguard 3) to understand daily stress and sleep
Dashboard view
Cloud based dashboard to view measurement history and performance trends
Session Management
Create and trim sessions, compare users and analyze specific segments with the lap management tools.
Reporting
Automated feedback reporting from training and 24h stress and recovery measurements.
Data export and API
Export collected data into excel or use API integrations into other platforms.Data Variables in Firstbeat Sports
Intensity
- Average Heart Rate (bpm)
- Average %HRmax (%)
- Average %VO2max (%)
- Average VO2 (ml/kg/min)
- Average Ventilation (l/min)
- Average RespR (times/min)
- Peak Heart Rate (bpm)
- Peak %HRmax (%)
- Peak %VO2max (%)
- Peak VO2 (ml/kg/min)
- Peak RespR (times/min)
- Minimum Heart Rate (bpm)
- Minimum %HRmax (%)
- VO2max (ml/kg/min)
Physiological load
- Training Status (0-100)
- Aerobic TE (0.0-5.0)
- Anaerobic TE (0.0-5.0)
- EPOC Peak (ml/kg)
- EPOC (ml/kg)
- TRIMP (index)
- TRIMP/min (index)
- Energy Expenditure Total (kcal)
- Acute Training Load
- Chronic Training Load
- ACWR
- Under zones (hh:mm:ss)
- Recovery Training (hh:mm:ss)
- Aerobic Zone 1 (hh:mm:ss)
- Aerobic Zone 2 (hh:mm:ss)
- Anaerobic Threshold Zone (hh:mm:ss)
- High Intensity training (hh:mm:ss)
Recovery
- Quick Recovery (%)
- Quick Recovery Test (index)
- Quick recovery test (7 days average) (%)
- Quick recovery test (Time since good recovery) (Days)
- Overnight Recovery (%)
- Overnight recovery Index (index)
- Sleep duration (hh:mm:ss)
- 24h Stress & Recovery Balance (%)
External load variables (if available)
- Movement Load (index)
- Average Movement Intensity (index)
HRV parameters
- RMSSD (ms)
- RMSSD Awake (ms)
- RMSSD Sleep (ms).
- Relaxation time (min)
- Stress time (min)
Time series data
- Artifact corrected heart rate
- TRIMP
- TRIMP / min
- EPOC
- Energy Expenditure
- Movement Load
- Movement Intensity
- RMSSD 1Min Average
- RR
- Artifact Corrected RR
2. Lifestyle, Stress, Recovery, Sleep, and Wellbeing Related Research: Firstbeat Life
- Suitable for research focusing on lifestyle related factors or intervention type of studies.
- Accurate and validated physiological data on phenomena like stress, recovery, sleep, physical activity, oxygen consumption, energy expenditure, VO2max, HRV (RMSSD) and more.
- Provides a way to collect data for prolonged periods and perform measurements easily and repeatedly.
- Automated analysis process.
The overall picture of well-being at a glance. Total scores consider the areas of stress and recovery, sleep, and health effects of exercise. Monitor the state and development of your well-being.
Watch in real-time and after each measurement how you respond throughout the day. Identify moments of stress and recovery, the amount and intensity of exercise, and how well you sleep.
After each measurement end-user receives a detailed analysis of their well-being and concrete instructions for the future. The app will also notify if recovery is exceptionally poor.
Firstbeat Life for Research
Specialist Admin Tool
- The main user can grant different access rights within the research organization / project
- User management: purchase and allocation of licenses to the end-users
- Access to individual end-users’ reports & results
- Creation of groups and reports for them dynamically from desired time periods
- Data export functionality for researchers (scalars and time series results to csv-files)
Data Variables in Firstbeat Life
3. HRV related Research: Bodyguard 3 device
- Suitable for research where accurate, unobtrusive, and long-term heart rate, ECG and motion recording is desired.
- “Gold-standard” method for HRV data recording as the device is based on ECG technology
- The technology is reliable for all users in rest and motion.
- Unlike optical sensors, the accuracy of Firstbeat Bodyguard 3 is not dependent on e.g., skin pigment or temperature, anatomy or motion state.
- Firstbeat Bodyguard 3 is a standalone wearable data logger used with standard clinical electrodes
- It is possible to re-use devices between different users
- The device is not waterproof
Firstbeat Bodyguard 3 for research
Device specifications
- The data items to be recorded can be configured:
- RR-intervals (1ms resolution)
- 3D acceleration (25.6Hz, 16-bit per channel, +-8G)
- 1-channel ECG (256 Hz, 18-bit per sample, motion noise suppression with HP 4.4Hz, optimal for wearable rhythm monitoring)
- Storage capacity:
- RRI-intervals only: up to 1 year
- RR-intervals + 3D acceleration: 8+ days
- RRI + 3D ACC + ECG: 36 hours
- Battery life: 10+ days with single charging
- Charging time: from empty to full approximately 75min
- Weight: 26 grams
- Size: 54mm x 38mm x 7.7mm
Firstbeat Bodyguard 3 for research
Exporter software
- A local computer software (MAC/PC) for preparing the device and extracting data.
- USB connectivity between the device and the software.
- The data does NOT go to Firstbeat’s cloud and Firstbeat does NOT analyze the data.
- The actual data analysis is done in some other program (such as Kubios etc.)
- The software price is included in the device price.
Data Variables with Firstbeat Bodyguard 3 Device
RR-intervals of the heart
3D acceleration
1-channel electrocardiography (ECG)
Please note, in case you use Firstbeat Bodyguard 3 and the exporter software without Firstbeat Life or Sports platform, you will not have access to Firstbeat’s physiology analytics and analyzed data.
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Publications and Studies Featuring Firstbeat
Firstbeat’s methods and solutions have been utilized in hundreds of scientific research projects and publications. Some of the various scientific research purposes to date include occupational health care, sleep research, psychotherapy, behavioral research, and sports coaching. Read more from our publications pages.