The Future of Racing, Presented by Phlex

A new realm of sports science has emerged in swimming, and Phlex is at the forefront of bringing this innovation to the masses.This video is not just a guide; it’s your first step towards revolutionizing your competitive swimming strategy. Olympic Swimmer Tom Peribonio delves deep into how to maximize your race performance using the Polar Verity Sense device with Phlex.  

Phlex: Trusted by World Aquatics for Use In-Competition

In a landmark decision that recognizes the growing role of technology in sports, World Aquatics has clarified its stance on the use of devices in competitions. This ruling paves the way for innovations like Phlex Swim's technology, permitting their use to collect invaluable data without affecting the competition's integrity:

"The use of technology and automated data collection devices is permissible for the sole purpose of collecting data. Automated devices shall not be utilized to transmit data, sounds, or signals to the swimmer and may not be used to aid their speed."

We are proud to reiterate, as highlighted in our previous blog post, that Phlex is officially approved by World Aquatics for use in any sanctioned event. This season, join the ranks of the world’s elite swimmers who have already integrated Phlex into their races, demonstrating its efficacy and reliability. Embrace Phlex this championship season and redefine your swimming capabilities.

Witness some of the world’s fastest swimmers integrating Phlex in their races, a testament to its precision and reliability. We encourage all our users to leverage this advantage in the upcoming championship season.

Steps to Maximize Your Racing Experience with Phlex

Now that you've learned how to wear Phlex during competition, let's take a closer look at how many swimmers and coaches are finding competitive advantages by simply wearing your device.

1. Find Optimal Device Placement: We want to ensure every swimmer is comfortable enough to add tracking to a race situation. We recommend slipping the Polar device out of its case and tucking it under your swim cap for maximum comfort and minimal fuss.
2. Start Recording Pre-Race: Initiate your workout on the device a few minutes prior to your race. This practice is beneficial as we can see the heart rate spikes, clear breakdown from your race, and even review for warm-up or cooldown sessions.
3. Wear Device for Accuracy: Ensure the device is placed under your cap in the programmed position, with the silver button always facing upwards. This alignment is crucial for accurate data recording and users are at risk of losing swim data if worn incorrectly.
4. Swim with Confidence: Dive into your race knowing that Phlex is meticulously tracking every aspect of your performance. Fitness, heart rate, stroke technique, lap splits and so much more will be waiting for you post-race.

Why Race with Phlex: Understanding Phlex’s Advanced Metrics

At the core of Phlex’s technology is our unbeaten stroke tracking and recognition system. Developed and engineered by a team of swimmers, coaches, and sports scientists, this feature provides unparalleled accuracy in understanding your stroke dynamics. From stroke count to stroke efficiency, Phlex gives you a comprehensive analysis of your swimming technique, fitness and cardio response to training or racing.

• Stroke Tracking and Recognition: Understanding stroke metrics like stroke count, distance per stroke, stroke index, and stroke rate is crucial for technical improvement and strategy formulation. . These parameters offer insights into your swimming efficiency and technique adaptation under race conditions.‍
• Historical Data for Progressive Improvement: Historical analysis allows you to track your progress over time, compare different races, and identify areas for improvement. This data is invaluable for developing a targeted training regimen.‍
• Tapering and Peak Performance: Our article on The Science of Tapering with Phlex discusses the importance of recording your races for informed tapering strategies. This information helps in determining the optimal time to peak, ensuring you’re at your best when it counts the most/
• ‍Omega Pad Tracking Validation: Phlex’s timing accuracy is validated against Omega pad tracking systems, boasting an impressively low error margin of tenths of a second. This level of precision is crucial in a sport where every fraction of a second counts.‍
• Heart Rate Accuracy Powered by Polar: Our heart rate monitoring, powered by the Polar Verity Sense device, is validated with a remarkable accuracy of +/- 5 bpm. This precision is vital for monitoring your cardiovascular effort and recovery, essential aspects of race and training analysis.‍

Data-Driven Racing: A Closer Look at Real-World Success

Unlock the full potential of your training with Phlex's advanced speed and split analysis by automatically recording these metrics, providing a treasure trove of data that helps you fine-tune your race strategy. The trackers capability to record motion and heart rate data means you can see how close you are to reaching your desired race speed, a critical factor often masked by fatigue. As you approach competition, this data becomes invaluable, allowing you to adjust your training to ensure you're not just ready, but race-optimized.

Race Strategy for a Breakthrough Mile (1500m)

Race strategy is a critical component of competitive swimming, and understanding your heart rate patterns during a race can provide invaluable insights. Our Phlex technology, powered by Polar’s Verity Sense device, offers heart rate monitoring with an accuracy of +/- 5 bpm. This precision allows you to analyze when and where your heart rate peaks during a race, helping you refine your strategy for future competitions.

One of our athletes recently tackled the 1500m at a World Aquatics sanctioned event, fully equipped with Phlex tracking. The result? A performance that was not just about endurance and skill, but also about smart, data-driven decision-making. Phlex captured every nuance of the swim - from stroke efficiency to heart rate variations. Here's a snapshot of their race data, offering a glimpse into the depth of insights Phlex provides. This real-life example underscores how critical our technology can be in pushing competitive boundaries.

Optimize Taper with Training Load Management

Phlex revolutionized swim tracking by introducing training load insights. Training Load offers a seamless approach to monitoring training volume and intensity. Managing the balance of work-load ratio for athletes is the bedrock of a successful tapering strategy. With Phlex, every stroke, lap, and session of training is automatically logged, painting a detailed picture of how ready you are for the meet.

This data is instrumental in guiding when to tweak, maintain, or analyze a seasonal taper. By reducing your training volume at the right time, Phlex ensures you arrive at the starting blocks fully rested and at peak performance. It's about fine-tuning your preparation to hit that sweet spot of peak performance on race day.

Optimized Tapering: As discussed in our article on The Science of Tapering with Phlex, recording your races provides valuable data to inform your tapering strategy, ensuring you peak at the right moment.

Individualized Heart Rate Monitoring for Optimal Training

Phlex takes heart rate monitoring to the next level by personalizing it. The Step Test Set is more than just a measurement tool; it's a gateway to optimized training. By establishing your unique Heart Rate Max (HRmax), Phlex allows for training that’s tailored specifically to your physiological needs. This personalized approach ensures that you're training in the right zone, whether you're aiming to boost aerobic capacity or push your anaerobic limits. This individualized data guards against the inefficiencies of one-size-fits-all training formulas, ensuring that each swim session is calibrated to your body's exact needs for maximum effectiveness.

Insights from Historical Data Comparison

Phlex’s historical data comparison is like having a high-tech swim diary. It allows you to dive deep into your past performances, offering valuable insights that can shape your future training. By examining patterns and trends in your previous races, you can identify strengths to leverage and weaknesses to address.

This historical analysis is a powerful tool for tracking progress over time, helping you to fine-tune your training strategies. Whether it's adjusting your stroke mechanics or tweaking your race strategy, the ability to look back and learn from your own data is an unparalleled advantage in the competitive swimming world.

Validated Precision That Stands the Test

During intensive accuracy tests, two swimmers wore a Polar Verity Sense sensor equipped with Phlex software. With Omega Timepads in the water and competing at a sanctioned meet, they participated in both the 200 free and the 200 IM, with the results affirming Phlex's position as one of the most accurate solutions on the market. The splits recorded by Phlex were remarkably close, within a few tenths of a second, to those of the Omega timing system. You will notice the only error margin difference is in the reaction time from the start, a common area as Timepads rely on the athlete reaction time.

Details of the Test

• 200 Freestyle by Adam Dubiel, a Polish Masters Record Holder‍
• Omega Timing System: 27.55, 29.94, 30.28, 28.51
• Phlex Algorithm: 26.82, 29.86, 30.18, 28.74 (Note: The first 50's difference is due to reaction time)

• 200 Individual Medley by Pawel Korzeniowski, also a Polish Masters Record Holder
• Omega Timing System: 26.13, 34.35, 38.98, 29.84
• Phlex Algorithm: 25.62, 33.90, 39.13, 30.66 (Note: The first 50's difference is due to reaction time)

These tests, along with other practices and suit swims, have played a vital role in ensuring the reliability of Phlex's measurements. Such commitment to accuracy and transparency gives athletes and coaches faith in the data they rely on for making informed decisions.

You can view the data results here.

Conclusion

Embrace Phlex as your competitive edge this season. Whether you’re a seasoned swimmer, a budding athlete, or a competitive coach, Phlex offers a comprehensive, scientifically-driven approach to enhance your swimming journey. The world of advanced swim tracking is growing, and you can experience what it is like with Phlex. Coaches are invited to book a demo with our sales team here.,

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