When it comes to tracking training, heart rate and power have long been the go-to metrics for runners, cyclists and endurance athletes. But what if your breathing could tell you more about how hard you’re working? That’s the thinking behind the TYMEWEAR VitalPro, a chest-worn monitor designed to bring laboratory-style breathing analysis into everyday training.

Unlike a conventional heart-rate strap, the VitalPro measures breathing rate, minute ventilation (the volume of air breathed per minute) and tidal volume (the amount of air taken in with each breath), alongside heart rate. It uses this information to help identify your ventilatory thresholds and build personalised training zones based on your own physiology, rather than relying solely on generic heart-rate or power targets.

Why does that matter? Heart rate can be influenced by heat, dehydration, caffeine and fatigue, and it doesn’t always respond immediately when your effort changes. Breathing data offers another way to understand your intensity, helping you find a more appropriate Zone 2 effort, pace intervals and avoid pushing too hard during easier endurance sessions. It can also help explain why a run feels tougher than usual, even when you’re maintaining the same pace.

The VitalPro is designed to make this kind of insight more accessible without the need to visit a sports science laboratory. TYMEWEAR says its breathing measurements achieve up to 97% accuracy compared with laboratory testing. Its app presents the data and helps turn it into practical training guidance, while its threshold tests can identify the first and second ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2). The company says new running and cycling tests now use automated detection, with results and recommendations available within minutes.

Compatibility is another plus. The VitalPro works with platforms including Garmin, Wahoo, and TrainingPeaks, making it easier to incorporate the information into an existing training routine. TYMEWEAR also has credentials in elite endurance sport, supplying breathing sensors to Team Visma | Lease a Bike, with its technology used by athletes across cycling, triathlon and endurance running.

For athletes who enjoy digging into their performance data, the VitalPro offers an interesting step beyond simply watching heart rate or pace. It could be particularly useful for those fine-tuning their endurance training, working towards a specific event or trying to better understand how their body responds to different intensities. However, it is a specialist training tool rather than an essential purchase for every runner, and its value will depend on how much you use the additional data to guide your sessions.

My highlight: The ability to build training zones around your breathing and individual ventilatory thresholds is what sets the VitalPro apart. Rather than relying on heart rate alone, it gives endurance athletes another way to understand effort and make their training more personalised.

The verdict: The TYMEWEAR VitalPro is an intriguing option for data-minded runners, cyclists and triathletes who want to take a more individual approach to training. By combining breathing metrics with heart-rate monitoring, it offers a different perspective on intensity, recovery and pacing. If you’re keen to understand not just how fast you’re going, but how hard your body is working, it could be a valuable addition to your training kit.

tymewear.com