HOUSTON (BRAIN) — With help from a successful kickstarter.com campaign, a Texas company is preparing to begin shipping a non-invasive blood lactate testing device in December. The device, called the BSX Insight, will allow athletes, including runners, cyclists and multi-sport athletes, to determine their lactate threshold, a critical number for measuring fitness and determining optimum training levels.
Previously, lactate threshold could be measured only by taking periodic blood samples, usually performed in labs while the athlete rode a stationary trainer or ran on a treadmill. The BSX Insight instead relies on a device that straps onto the athlete's calf and shines an LED light into the muscle. Based on the way the light is refracted, the device can determine blood lactate levels. The company claims its results are 95-97 percent as accurate as traditional tests.
The BSX Insight will be sold through brick-and-mortar retailers and online domestically and internationally, said Ryan West, a marketing and public relations spokesman for BSX Athletics. Company officials are still deciding whether to use distributors or sell dealer direct in the bike market. West said the company also plans to sponsor some cycling athletes or teams and events. The company offered its products as premiums for some Kickstarter support levels and also is taking discounted pre-orders on its own website.
The device will retail for $370 for cycling use. A running version will sell for $300 and a multisport edition will sell for $420.
The BSX is not intended for use during training. Instead, the company recommends that cyclists use the device paired with a power meter and heart rate monitor for periodic threshold tests. Once the lactate threshold is determined, the athlete can then use power and heartrate for pacing. The BSX device can communicate with many cycling computers via the ANT+ wireless protocol. While computers do not display lactate levels, the data is recorded and can later be analyzed with BSX's software.
The company was founded in 2012 by Dr. Dustin Freckleton, MD, and Nithin Rajan, who holds a B.A. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Rice University. Freckleton is a level 1 certified triathlon coach. The company's Kickstarter campaign ended in April, and raised $122,000, surpassing its goal of $50,000.
More information: BSXInsight.com.
