Science – CHASKi

CHASKi on the Track: Lab-Grade Precision in the Real World

by Consuelo SotoEnglish, Science August 14, 2025No Comments

For decades, physiological testing for endurance athletes has been dominated by laboratory-based ergospirometry—bulky equipment, masks, and controlled environments. While these setups are the gold standard for measuring key markers like ventilatory thresholds (VT1, VT2) and respiratory rate (RR), they come with limitations: cost, accessibility, and an environment that often feels far removed from real racing …

Breaking your limits: how to train and improve VT2 for high intensity

by Consuelo SotoEnglish, Science July 23, 2025No Comments

In our constant pursuit of unraveling the secrets of endurance performance, we’ve already explored the First Ventilatory Threshold (VT1) as the foundation of our endurance. Today, we’ll raise the intensity to understand the next physiological milestone: the Second ventilatory threshold (VT2). What is the Second Ventilatory Threshold? The Second Ventilatory Threshold, commonly known as VT2 or also called …

First Ventilatory Threshold (VT1): The physiological key to your endurance performance

by Consuelo SotoEnglish, Science July 1, 2025No Comments

As experts in physiology and performance, we know that endurance success lies in deeply understanding our body’s signals. Today, we’ll delve into a fundamental concept for athletes and coaches: the First Ventilatory Threshold (VT1). The First Ventilatory Threshold, or VT1, is a critical physiological point during progressive exercise. It represents the exercise intensity at which a …

Why Monitoring RPE—and Comparing It to Respiratory Frequency—Matters More Than You Think

by Consuelo SotoEnglish, Science June 13, 2025No Comments

In endurance training, Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) has long been a trusted compass—an intuitive guide to how hard an athlete feels they’re working. But how reliable is this perception in real-time, especially under fatigue, heat, or glycogen depletion? More importantly, can we measure how well athletes are controlling their RPE, and should we compare what they …

Race Pacing Starts with Physiology: Why Matching Distance to Your Thresholds Matters

by Consuelo SotoEnglish, Science June 11, 2025June 12, 2025No Comments

Success in endurance sports isn’t just about grit—it’s about precision. One of the most overlooked performance strategies is aligning your race pacing with your ventilatory thresholds. Whether you’re targeting a 10K or a 100-miler, understanding how each race maps to your body’s internal limits is critical. That’s exactly where CHASKi steps in. CHASKi is the first wearable designed specifically for …

The Science of Breathing: How RMT Enhances Aerobic Power and Delays Fatigue

by Consuelo SotoEnglish, Science May 23, 2025June 12, 2025No Comments

When endurance athletes hit a plateau, they often look to tweak training intensity, diet, or recovery. But one critical and often overlooked component might be holding them back: respiratory muscle function. The muscles that power our breathing—like the diaphragm and intercostals—are trainable, and targeted respiratory muscle training (RMT) can deliver measurable performance gains, even for already well-trained …

Why VO₂max Is the Health Metric Everyone Should Track—Not Just Athletes

by Consuelo SotoEnglish, Science May 7, 2025May 9, 2025No Comments

In the world of endurance sports, VO₂max—the maximal rate of oxygen consumption during intense exercise—has long been used to gauge aerobic performance. But what if we told you this number isn’t just about who wins the race? It’s also one of the strongest predictors of how long and how well you’ll live. For coaches, athletes and anyone …

CHASKi: A Wearable Game-Changer for Endurance Athletes

by Consuelo SotoEnglish, Science February 19, 2025February 20, 2025No Comments

Revolutionizing Performance Monitoring with CHASKi For endurance athletes, understanding ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2) is crucial for optimizing training and maximizing performance. Traditionally, these thresholds are measured using ergospirometry—an accurate but cumbersome lab-based method. Now, with CHASKi, you can access the same gold-standard data in the field. But how well does it stack up against …

Why Heart Rate Alone Isn’t Enough: Rethinking Performance Metrics

by Renee LeathermanEnglish, Science January 30, 2025No Comments

For decades, heart rate has been the go-to metric for athletes and coaches aiming to optimize performance. It’s convenient, widely accessible, and often seen as a universal marker of effort. However, heart rate is far from perfect. Recent research, including findings from the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (Tocco, 2015), highlights significant limitations of …

Ventilatory Thresholds vs. Lactate Thresholds: Are They Competitors or Complementary Metrics?