Technical Tips
Advice
The optima-life team has worked in a number of sporting, corporate, healthcare and occupational health environments and is happy to advise you on how to optimise the use of Firstbeat HEALTH software. It is important to our team that you are completely at ease using the products and that you are getting the best out of them. Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries or issues and we will be delighted to help.
Optimising performance and recovery is an ongoing process. Optima-life and Firstbeat Technologies would welcome feedback from you so that we can continue to provide you with the very best products and services.
In this section you will find information about the process, how to collect and download software how it works and software compatibility. But remember, if you have any queries do contact us.
Collection of Data
Data can be collected using a variety of devices:
- Smart Belt
- Suunto t6
- Polar RS800, also "D" and "G3" models
- Polar S810i
- Polar CS600
- Firstbeat BODYGUARD
- FRWD W100 (data export)
- FRWD W600 (data export)
- FRWD B100 (data export)
- FRWD B600 (data export)
- See also bottom of page Suunto Memorybelt quick guide
Downloading Data
Minimum system requirements are:
- Compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista
- 512MB RAM
- Intel Pentium III or AMD 1GHz
- Hard disk drive free space - 50MB
- Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or later
Analysis
Optima-life using Firstbeat looks closely at measuring both heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV).
It is quite possible to have a low resting pulse but also one that demonstrates minimal heart rate variability – this is a highly significant indicator of poor recovery and an increasing amount of research suggests that chronic dampening of variability is an indicator of adverse health.
Using Firstbeat software the data can be analysed and from it physiological modeling of stress, exercise and recovery can be shown in a number of reporting formats.
Reports
Suunto Memorybelt Quick Guide
Attachment of the recording belt
- Moisten the electrode surfaces of the Memorybelt (see the picture on the right) with water or electrolyte paste or gel.
- Wear the Memorybelt so that the text is right side up and the electrode areas are in contact with your skin. The belt must be tightly attached to the chest!
Recording beat-by-beat HR data
- The Memorybelt is activated and starts recording automatically when you attach the belt to your chest. A green signal light flashes on the front of the belt when the recording starts.
- The green signal light flashes once every four seconds when the measurement is in progress as a sign of successful recording.
- The recording is automatically terminated one minute after removing the Memorybelt, after which the belt is in a standby mode.
Explanation for light and sound signals
Function |
Light signal |
Sound signal |
| Activation of Memorybelt, recording initiation |
1 x green light | — |
| Recording in progress | Green signal light at 4-sec intervals | No sound signal |
| Recording termination | 3 x green light | — — — |
Notes:
— Short sound signal
The sound setups can be defined with the Firstbeat software. The sound signal is switched off in the default setting.
If the Memorybelt does not detect a heartbeat signal and the green signal light is not flashing, please repeat steps 1 and 2.
