Research

The development of Optima-life products using Firstbeat HEALTH and Firstbeat SPORTS is based on over 20 years of research. Firstbeat Technologies Ltd. has a strong research ethos and is an R&D spin-off from KIHU - Research Institute for Olympic Sports, located in Jyväskylä, Finland.

Firstbeat Technologies has a hugely experienced team participating in research projects supporting the use of heartbeat analysis products. Firstbeat is also working with university research partners and institutions in product developement.

Professor Heikki Rusko has been instrumental in further research on the measurement of autonomic nervous system (ANS) function and his experience has added to its applied use in sport and health.

Firstbeat research covers many areas including:

• Indirect heart beat based measurement of autonomic nervous system function: quantitative methods, laboratory validation of ANS markers
• Endurance (aerobic) training: Training, performance and recovery from exercise
• Athlete overtraining: physiology, measurement and prediction
• Laboratory stress measurement: Psychophysiology of stress and burn-out
• Worksite employee heart beat based stress measurement methods: Applied field studies
• Mathematical modeling of complex physiological signals