This is Jim Galanes with EPOC Performance Training. I used and tested the Firstbeat system for several years prior to entering a partnership with Firstbeat to sell there products in the US. We are working on a blanket review of some of the questions, concerns and even some of the misunderstandings that we see in many of the forum questions and responses. Obviously we believe in the system and both the training analysis and the recovery tests would benefit any endurance athlete.
We are happy to personally address any question and work with individuals on demos.
Please feel free to contact me
jim@epoc-training.com
Great to hear, Jim! I’ll shoot you an email about getting access to the product directly. I do have some specific questions to add to the FAQ.
(1) I saw the Firstbeat SPORT 4.7 manual that is online (https://www.firstbeat.com/app/uploads/2015/11/Firstbeat-SPORTS-4.7-User-Guide.pdf). Is this the current SPORT product that is for sale by Firstbeat and the product best suited to athletes?
(2) It looks like you take a reading (using a compatible HRM with R-R capability) and then tell Firstbeat what kind of session it is (e.g. training, overnight recovery, quick recovery, etc) and then it does its magic. This suggests that you can get by (at least initially) with any compatible HRM and that a Bodyguard 2 isn’t necessary?
(3) It also appears that the SPORT products don’t have quite the same 24-hour monitoring that the “lifestyle assessment” products have. I noticed that there is a “daily stress” feature in the product that looks like it may accomplish some of the same things as the lifestyle assessment. Does the lifestyle assessment products give you any greater insight or information than can be gleaned from the daily stress report in FB SPORT?
(4) Any chance FB would be interested in offering a discount to a few aging athletes on Slowtwitch? 
Thanks!
–Ken
EPOC Performance Training, owned by Joe and Jim Galanes, both Olympians and coaches, are partners with Firstbeat a Finnish company, to distribute Firstbeat products in the United States.
We were first introduced to Firstbeat technology about 7-8 years ago. We spent 4-5 years testing the software and hardware in our own training and in many of our clients. Only after we were fully satisfied that this tool would benefit athletes did we enter an agreement to market the products. Unlike some of the coaches and athletes who were interviewed in the article, we believe Firstbeat Sports accurately assess the stress and load of training and recovery and provides post workout analysis to help athletes understand if the training was implemented as planned and had the desired physiological effect.
As, with any analytic software using the system effectively requires proper set-up and a basic understanding of the data presented in the software. We are aware that some of the users do not use the system correctly, which makes any data questionable. In our experience over several years, we have seen a very accurate relationship between the loads of training and recovery. We have clients and customers who have used the Sports system and the Recovery Test for 2-3 years, some never missing a testing night. That along with Firstbeat research and reported experience confirms that there is a positive relationship between the individual level of recovery and their adaptation to training and ability to perform in the planned workouts and races. We have complete confidence in making critical training decisions, modifying training as needed, and assessing the athlete’s readiness to perform in goal competitions based on both the training and recovery data.
Many of the questions in this forum are focused around individuals experiences with Omegawave and other apps. While I am far from an expert on Omegawave I am an expert in the use of the Firstbeat software and can address many of the questions discussed. On the Firstbeat web site we have many white papers, studies, and reports that explain the science and the validation behind the Firstbeat system.
Much of the discussion on the forum was related to the validity of the various recovery tests. It appears many of these test was short recovery test, 2-3 minutes. While Firstbeat provides a 3 and five-minute test in our various software we have done so to accommodate the many team sports that use our system. It is our belief and experience that a short test will be highly variable and at a minimum would require very precise implementation to get reliable data. There are simple to many variables with a short test to provide consistent data. In our experience this has proven to be true, day to day readings with a short test do not always mirror training status and adaptation in a consistent fashion. Additionally, many of the smart phone apps that use optical sensor to calculate heart rate and heart rate variability have yet to be proven to be accurate enough.
For optimal recovery measures we recommend using our Bodyguard2 HRV data collector and the Sports software analysis. This test recommends a four-hour period, while sleeping, where HRV and the RMSSD is analyzed to build a Recovery Index. We recommend the Bodyguard because the quality of the data is excellent. Some athletes have had relatively good luck using Suunto Ambit monitor to collect overnight data. But it is possible to have significant error,> 20% which may compromise the quality of the recovery data. It should
Firstbeat does license its algorithms to various manufacturers to include in their hardware, it is uncertain that they have not modified the algorithms to build into the firmware. In our experience, both the training load analysis, EPOC, and the Recovery test data vary substantially from what we see in the Firstbeat software.
We believe it is critical to use the Firstbeat training analysis along with regular and consistent use of the overnight test for optimal results. The training load assessment EPOC and Training Effect provide a consistent and accurate picture of physiological stress or load. Combined with the Recovery Index we can clearly see the relationship between the load of training and recovery. This information will help us fine tune our training patterns, improve the implementation of workouts to ensure the desired training effect, and will help us understanding the days of recovery or easy training needed to reach an optimal performance level.
It has been our experience working with many athletes that the measures they are using or their personal perceptions of the loads of various forms of training are often far removed from the desired training effect. Often going to hard or harder than necessary and then unable to reach the necessary loads in their high intensity training. With Firstbeat athletes will be able to accurately measure the physiological load of each workout to ensure the optimal loading patterns.
We are happy to answer any further questions. Please feel free to contact us.
Jim Galanes
EPOC Performance Training
jim@epoc-training.com