fact is an exciting new method for testing and training in any endurance sport. fact is the product of six years of practical research in the field.  The basis of the system is a Heart Rate - Lactate test to establish heart rates used for training and racing.  A sample test data printout is shown above.  The Lactate vs Heart Rate curve (red) establishes the heart rate for the Lactate Balance Point  (lowest point on the curve) and the line of Heart Rate vs Speed (blue) is used to monitor the progress the athlete makes as a result of training.  The Lactate Balance Point heart rate is a dynamic value which changes with training and racing.  As a result the blood lactate of an athlete must be continually monitored to prevent over-training (or in some cases, training at too low an intensity level for effective adaptation).  Interpretation of the test has been made simple with a custom Windows 95/98 Software which produces a printout of the graphic and analysis of the test.

Following is a typical testimonial:

"The FACT Test is very easy, I like to perform this test.  Personally I did run for years much too fast, pulse by 165 bpm.  After testing in October, 2000 my LBP was 145 bpm.  I changed my running speed immediately, and now I am faster than ever!  Fantastic!  It is working out by me very succesful, and I am in the best mood ever!!"

Dr. Rudolf M. Bolzius
Sport Medicine Practitioner (Germany)

Click here for detailed information on the FACT test system.

The validity of the fact LBP has been proven in a study by a research group at the University of Bern in Switzerland.  A summary of the results is shown below.

Lactate monitoring has been made simple with the use of Lacate Pro LT-1710 mini lactate analyzer.  One tiny painless drop of blood from a finger gives a measurement in 60 seconds.  Lactate Analysis is no longer the exclusive domain of national teams or scientific research centers.  The Lactate Pro is affordable by any serious athlete, coach, or club.  Fact Canada Consulting Ltd. is the North American distributor of the Lactate Pro.

Feldmann and Chlebek have used the fact system for biking, cross-country skiing, running and even with exercise equipment such as stair climbers.  Feldmann has had excellent results using the system to determine safe but effective levels of exercise intensity for rehabilitation of heart patients.

World class mountain bikers, Geoff Kabush (9th at 2000 Sydney Olympics), Kirk Molday (1997 Norba series winner, 4^th in 1997 World Championships), Ryder Hesjdal (silver medal at 2003 World Championship), and others train with the fact system.  These athletes have a Lactate Pro making it possible to continually monitor and send feedback to their coach.

A research group at the University of Bern in Switzerland has completed a study using the fact test protocol to check the stability of performance (watts), heart rate and lactate over time at various heart rates from the test.  The athletes were tested on bike ergometers and used the test data to perform work at various heart rates.  The lactate and watts were recorded every four minutes.  The data was taken for a group of 16 athletes and the following graphs are typical of the results obtained.

The first graph shows work at the Lactate Balance Point heart rate.  The lactate and power output in watts remained constant over the 16 minute period.

The second graph shows work above the LBP heart rate but below the Upper Linear Limit heart rate (see the graph for the fact test in the above section). The lactate remains constant but at a higher level but the performance (watts) steadily decreases in order for the heart rate to remain constant.

The third graph shows work above the Upper Linear Limit heart rate.  The lactate climbs dramatically with time while the work (watts) decreases as the heart rate is held constant.  This session was stopped at 8 minutes as the subjects reached exhaustion and could not continue.

The above study has since been repeated for a time duration of 45 minutes with identical results.

These results demonstrate quite clearly that the Lactate Balance Point determined by the fact test protocol is a true steady state for heart rate, lactate and performance.  This heart rate is crucial information for determining the most efficient training intensity.