Anyone have any experience with Tymewear? How’s accuracy vs lactate meter/lab? How’s the data reliability?
I read a very good review that it is crap, due to the fact wearing cloth on top of it that touches the sensor sort of throws the breath frequency off.
Do a google and you probably find it
Ventilation and lactate measurements are two different ways to measure intensity or physical effort and with the Norwegians, their use of lactate testing became pretty well known.
Measuring ventilation, and specifically Minute Volume, has been around for a long time though still limited to diagnostic testing in labs so is not that affordable or easy to apply or use for everyday trainin. Tymewear (Boston based) developed a chest strap solution and suggest it is close to the results of a metabolic cart (i.e. lab) to detect the ventilatory thresholds.
Back in 2022 an independent study of an early iteration (shirt form, not a chest strap) said: ”The result from this study suggests that the Tyme Wear smart shirt is less valid but is comparable in reliability when compared to the gold standard. Moreover, despite the underestimation of S-PRED VT1 and VT2, the S-PRED-detected personalized ventilatory thresholds provide an adequate training workload for most individuals.”
Now it is four years on and they have an internal study here that indicates within 1.2 breaths / minute and 97.3% Minute Volume accuracy against the metabolic cart.
I have used Tymewear since last year though I don’t regularly do lactate test. However I have spoken to other athletes who use both and once they find out how where the VT1 and VT2 align to lactate LT1 and LT2, they rely more on the breathing sensor data. It’s still pretty new, though more top triathletes are starting to use it and it is even bigger in pro cycling.
Here is the review
I bought it, I like it. I wore it during a running lab test to get my VT1/VT2 as well as a Stryd. Running being the priority for me right now. I use it for my longer runs primarily to see when I drift out of zone while maintaining my training zone.
I did a self 3min step test on the trainer to get my VT1/VT1 zones and seems on par with my CP60.
I am pretty much a 3 zone dude across the board now.
The reviews are so mixed online
some people love it, some say it’s garbage
I’m really really tempted to try.
It seems like there were some issues early on. But maybe most of them have been fixed? If this was a $100 device I would say it’s worth a shot. But it’s pretty steep and not sure I want to drop that kind of cash on a device that is stiff iffy. I’m an athlete that has probably spent too much time training in the grey zone and not enough in zone 2 or near LT1/VT1. So I would like something that keeps me in check without having to constantly get blood samples with a lactate meter.
I have one other reservation …
If this is something I spend $300 on, and I get value on it everyday, I’d probably try it.
But I’m not sure if this is a use it a few times, align zones from this to a HR / Power range (or general RPE) and then I don’t use it anymore
I feel like I know what my LT1 / LT2 values generally are in terms Power / HR, and interestingly Xert estimates them as similar .So will this new tool just validate those figures or give me something new?
$300 is a lot for potentially low value
I still need to do more research but my understanding is that you are supposed to shift away from power/hr to these ventilation numbers on a continuous basis. HR tends to drift over time so you still may be at/near LT1/VT1 but your HR says otherwise.
I pretty much shifted away from HR and track it as a metric purely for overall health at this point and where I am at the starting point of a workout.
As for the TW, I wear and do not use it a metric or backstop for my workout zone. I use it mainly for post workout analysis to see at what time I am drifting out of zone during the EASY stuff.
If I tracked on my watch or head unit during a workout I just know I would alter my breathing for some reason or try to.
I think it works ideally with power for both run and bike, too many variables with pace/HR.
If you can do a lab test or a good field test and mate it to the reading from TW then you have a great start point.
What I’ve learned since using it especially being run focused is when I think I am going easy, turn it down a little more so when it comes to the post 60min mark I can still stay in zone.
I also found myself doing the walk/run for every single easy run for that reason.
I’m thinking the rewards from this will come with at least 6 months in of data readings, its not something you just throw on it works.
I’ve never had any issues with static from clothing or anything like that. I do use a Polar H10 instead of the TW hr device.
I am not paying for the Tymewear app services.