I wanted to give a quick review of the team system for ithlete, as I am very happy with it. Many people are asking is it worth investing into it, and I think it’s the most useful monitoring system one can get for teams or organizations looking for simple HRV scoring. I realize that other people are sharing that they use other brands and that is fine, but I am interested in seeing who collects what data. I have access to many different systems and feel ithlete is the best open choice for coaches and medical staff. I remember getting my first dongle from Simon three years ago, and HRV has helped me get more information and reduce injuries from overload. The ability to collect HRV daily first thing in the morning is a game changer. The data aggregates into the team system and I can use an iPad and VGA to HDMI cable to see athletes each day. I love it and found some interesting lessons along the way.
Compliance is a huge factor. Without a policy in place, what are you going to do? I have found that athletes are compliant only when they benefit directly each day. The understanding of the data is nice from a compliance standpoint, but if they are to share and make the effort with the data you have to use it or demonstrate you are using it every day as well. Just like the coach who looks down at his feet when the athletes explain they are broken down when the head coach is doing heavy practices, athletes that are tired need to be rested. Athletes are willing to do the test if they see the benefit from day one.
Sleep is directly related. When does the athlete wake up? How well did they sleep? What was the effect of an athlete without air conditioning? Collecting data each day and seeing how they recover is highly related to the stability of wake times and the deviation during weekends. Does HRV improve or get worse during the weekend? Sleep is always preached, but now that Zeo is gone how are we getting estimated data? Much to think about.
Does the estimated loading pattern match the expected plan? Is the athlete getting fitter faster, or is the athlete stagnant with training. The trends are key and I love how the system shows the data with athletes. The above screen shot shows how each phase is improving both the HRV and the fitness. All of this was planned and confirmed by HRV testing. Notice the most current recovery phase from 10 hours of therapy in the final week, since massage is only effective if one can recover from deep work. Deeper (without inflammation or bruising) the better. HRV is like a life line, it’s ok to drop when competing or training, but eventually one has to be fit and healthy to survive. I strongly suggest people look to ithlete and invest into a team system. It’s worth it.