| Author | Message | ||
     Juerg Senior Member Username: Juerg Post Number: 1399 Registered: 04-2006 |
With more and more coaches now using the Fit Mate , Herb and I are well underway on producing a CD , where you will have many informations on Fit Mate use and data use, far above and beyond the companies original ideas. We will be able to show you step by step , how you use Herb's excel work sheets for all different ideas on data interpretations and much more. We will go step by step through the test procedure and the handling of the equipment, as it was never designed for what we use it. Here some initial points people have to be aware if using a full FaCT test protocol and try to play around with it and the Fit Mate , as well as the Physio Flow. 1. Try to calibrate the equipment at the same time so once you start you have the same timing on both equipment and it is much easier to follow the data collection flow when you later assess the informations. On the Physio Flow you can set markers after each step and add your comment so it is easy to recall in the Excel sheet. Fit Mate : There are soem points to consider. It is designed for VO2 max testing , whcih classically will take 20 - 25 min in a prepared protocol. So the equipment has a limiting time for data collection, which is app. 2000 breath. So if you have a client with a RF of average 30 - 40 you can get 50 min to 1 hour test time in. If your client has a RF of 50 - 60 as some of the paraplegic athletes show you will have 30 - 40 min time available. So if you plan to do a Full FaCT including recovery data collection with the Fit Mate you have to keep this in mind. I always split the test in this case: How : Run the first step test part to the end as it takes 10 - 15 steps with 3 min steps so 45 min. As soon you take the first lactate sample you just simply stop the atlete anyway to take the lactate sample. Use this to re-start the Fit Mate with simpley pushing okay , followed by pushinh 3 for print and than go back to the normal step of calibration and it will take 20 - 25 sec to re cslibrate for a new test on the same person and you avoid a sudden freeze of the test reulst s. Second you may have to watch the paper roll always after you transported the Fitr Mate. A shift in the paper role can stop the Fit Mate when you try to print the dta and it will freeze, so always do a paper feed prior to the test to be sure the paper role is properly in the setting. Check the flow meter and avoid reverse setting of the flow meter as, this can happen. If people sneeze or cough during thetest you will get the info "too high respiration rate" Nothing happend if this is the case only a few times. As well coughing may produce a short "leak " of air on the mask and it will show up on the screen. HR snesor . Very often if the belts are not wet enough the sensor has a problem to read immediatly , so be sure you have it wet enough. The range may need to be adjusted as well from belt to sensor. It sems that some coded belt have some transmitter problem so use the belt , which comes with the Fit Mate if you have problems. Avoid pulling on the sensor cable hard , as it can get broken at the pin area . so check for that as well and just simply don't use force but "feeling ". When clenaing remember to pull the O2 sensor tupe off the flow meter and avoid water going in. When calibrating and checking calibration info watch , that there is a dust free area, as the suction of the O2 sensor calibration will suck in dust if not connected and it will creat somke problem. The samll "wheel" on the O2 tube is actually a small filter for that purpose. I us an old small piece of a septic filter , when assessing calibration values , batterie status and Flow meter status. Last but not least. If you test always check batteries status but I always try to keep the equipment plugged in, if we test 6 - 8 hours non stop so you not drain the batteries off, as you may loose the colllected data otherwise. Remember that the fit mate is NOT a computer but a data collectore. So before you test make sure you have enough memory left otherwise if you overflow the memory it is like with a polar watch you will be not able to retreat the data from your last test , as it will not clear the oldest test, but simply will stop to collect data. So make sure if you like to keep the test data to regularly down load the information into your computer so you have the data for later. If not just simply delete the data on the Fit Mate accordingly to the steps it will give you on the screen. Thansk for all the positive feed backs and question we have from all the new Fit Mate users . Juerg |