9 Fitness Trackers for All Your Fitness Needs
9. BSXinsight
Finally, one tracker I couldn’t test in person but have would love to try: BSXinsight ($299.99). This device measures how hard you’re working by focusing on the lactate threshold, which is the highest pace or intensity that you can maintain without an increase in blood lactate. Here’s how it works: your muscles shuttle lactate into the blood as you exert. When you cross the lactate threshold, which is different for each athlete, blood lactate levels rise, and lactate builds up faster than the body can remove it. At the same time, acidosis — the buildup of hydrogen ions — occurs. Acidosis is responsible for that muscle burn and fatigue you may have experienced the last time you really pushed yourself.
BSXinsight aims to take the guesswork out of what “pushing it” means by measuring blood lactate and calculating your limit. Then you can train to your threshold and adjust your workout’s level so you’re training at what is the optimal level for your body. Over time, the theory is, you’ll be able to move your body’s threshold higher and higher, helping you surpass your previous limits.
Previously, the only way to measure lactate threshold was to go to a lab and have bloodwork done … or purchase some equipment and practice pricking your own finger every time you trained. So a calf sleeve and a sensor the size of a heart-rate monitor really is a stride in the right direction.
The compression sleeve uses near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to detect and analyze data in the form of light as it passes through your muscle tissue. You can use the information to determine your training program, plan for events and competitions, track progress, and share data with your coach and teammates.
BSXinsight has an assessment phase, which it encourages you to retake every six to eight weeks. Currently the unit is aimed at cyclists and runners, with units designed to be worn by either type of athlete and a “multisport” option for both. As a strength rather than an endurance athlete, I’d love to know if this is of any use for my training … but it’s almost enough motivation for me to start running!
Don’t see your favorite tracker on the list? Let me know what you use in the comments! —Ali
Comments
Wow, thanks so much for the extensive review! I currently have the polar loop – original – and absolutely love it. I use the heart rate monitor strap when I am exercising. It is my personal coach for sure! It pushes me to meet and then exceed my goal daily!
Thanks again for the review, I love keeping up to date with the latest!
Great information and I’m definitely looking into that Twister Tracker. 😀 I think my husband and I could really have a blast with that thing. 😀
As for the tracker I use, it’s definitely Fitbit One. I love my fit bit since it tracks my steps, stairs, miles and hours of sleep. Some of these look amazing though, so I might look into something else…however I find if I have something that tracks too many things I get overwhelmed and stop using it all together. LOL. It’s definitely a less is more mentality for me. 🙂
Thanks for the product review. It is always such a difficult decision for me to buy a product that there are so many variants of. I tried looking for products that have complementary things I’m looking for. I was struggling with sleep and needed a new pillow. While looking into that I found a company that sold both a sleep/activity tracker and a pillow that I heard was amazing. I got the 100series tracker and an adjustable pillow. https://rem-fit.com/ Both have worked so great for me. Good luck on your choices!
Love these! Seriously, I may have an addiction to fitness trackers of all sorts haha! One that would rock on this list too is the ncredible sleep tracker, The REM-Fit Sleep Monitor. It’s an incredibly thin strap that lays across your bed, and while you sleep it monitors your heart rate, respiratory rate and motion. It analyzes all of the data from your sleep to give you a sleep score based on how long you slept, your heart rate, respiratory rate, motion and more. Then, you just tap on your sleep score in the free app and you can get a full account of the factors that make up your score. Plus it has an extra long lasting battery so you don’t have to plug it in each night. Just charge it up while you wash your sheets and you are all set. I highly recommend this. You can see more info about it at this link: Fitness & Sleep Trackers (https://rem-fit.com/) (Seriously the best sleep tracker I’ve found.) Huzzah to fitness tracking devices!
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