The Premise. Whether you’re a professional athlete or going for some recreational exercise, you always want to get the most out of your workout. Push your body too hard, and your muscles risk extreme injury or damage. Go to lightly with your workout, and you’re left with much to be desired from your regimen. There are certainly devices that are able to monitor your activity, but it’s still difficult to know just how much you get the most results out of your workout.
The Product. The BSX Insight is looking to change the way athletes monitor their workouts. Packed in a low profile design is a device thats able to monitor heart rate, cadence, pace and calories burned. But the BSX also brings something new to the table: lactate threshold monitoring. Previously, lactate threshold could only be monitored through a finger prick that drew blood, but BSX has developed a system that accurately measures what goes on inside your muscles. It then pairs with your smartphone or other wearable technology to give you live feedback on your athletic performance.
The Pitch. Co-Founders Dustin and Nithin take turns explaining the benefits of lactate threshold technology. This is the first time that that the technology is being made available to the average consumer, so it’s understandable that they take quite a bit of time in the video to explain just how the BSX Insight maximizes your workout and gives a more complete view of your fitness profile. From live action shots, the BSX Insight doesn’t seem to interfere at all with range of motion and activity, and it sleekly fits within the specially designed compression sleeve. The video ends with the two founders asking for donators to fund their final push toward production of their prototype before they run off to the horizon.
The Perks. A normal lactate threshold test can cost up to $200 per test, and in order to stay accurate, those tests need to happen every few months. The BSX Insight on the other hand is only $179 for runner’s edition. The multi-sport edition costs a few more dollars at $219. If you’re not sure whether or not the BSX Insight is for you, you can still support the campaign for $25 to receive a pair of compression sleeves and three months of free trainBSX premium access. The product is expected to be delivered in December 2014.
The Potential. The BSX Insight represents a step beyond the run-of-the-mill pedometers, but the obscurity of what it measures likely won’t resonate with people who aren’t ultra-competitive athletes. It may represent an extravagance for the casual runner, but its simplicity may make it an appealing addition to people’s everyday workout gear.