Not sure which software to use for analyzing lactate tests in your human performance lab? Checkout this comparison between Mesics (LC lactate) vs INSCYD, and decide which tool fits your lactate- and spiroergometry diagnostics lab best.
To prevent confusion: Mesics is the company name. Their product is called Winlactat. Soon the product name will change from Winlactat to LC Lactat, which is an abbreviation for LabConnector Lactat. That said, let’s start the comparison!
Introduction to Mesics (LC Lactat) and INSCYD
At first Mesics (LC Lactate) and INSCYD seem like two very similar software products. They are both able to analyse your data from lactate based performance tests in detail. For example a lactate test or spiroergometry test.
Here’s how you could describe these tools in one sentence.
Mesics (LC Lactate) is a software tool that enables you to record and analyze a lab lactate performance test.
INSCYD is a software tool that creates a holistic 360° performance analysis of an athlete.
In other words, with Mesics (LC Lactate) you dive deeper into the raw test itself. With INSCYD you dive deeper into the metabolic profile of an athlete, which is derived from a test.
Let’s first dive a little deeper into the features that INSCYD and Mesics (LC Lactate) have in common. By doing so, you better understand the idea behind both software tools.
What INSCYD and Mesics (LC lactate) have in common
INSCYD is a SaaS (software as a service) product. Mesics used to be a software package that you buy once and install locally on your computer. Starting in 2023 Mesics turned into a SaaS product as well.
The core users of both INSCYD and Mesics are people who work in a lab, have a coaching business or are part of a sports federation (B2B).
Both INSCYD and Mescis (LC Lactate) require you to do an exercise test before you can use the software to the fullest. They are both able to analyse such a performance test in detail.
Once the analysis is done, you can easily create a (branded) PDF report of the test results. This is the end product of both software tools. You can then share the report with your athlete.
Another feature that they have in common is the possibility to compare 2 tests (e.g. pre- vs post training program). However, in Mesics (LC Lactate) it’s only possible to compare tests of the same protocol, while INSCYD is independent of the protocol and always allows comparisons. Here’s an example of how that looks like:
With INSCYD you can also compare an existing test with a virtual test. A virtual test is a manually created test of your athlete’s “future self”. When comparing this virtual test with an existing test, you know exactly what your athlete needs to improve to become their best future self. It is a way to predict future performances.
This feature is not available in Mesics (LC Lactate).
Take a deeper dive into the metabolic profile of your athletes with INSCYD. Schedule a call with INSCYD expert to see how their holistic 360° performance analysis can take your athlete’s performance to the next level.
The difference between Mesics and INSCYD
Not sure which performance analysis software works best for you? Let’s look at some differences between Mesics (LC Lactate) and INSCYD. We’ll start at the beginning of the test process and finish with the report.
Device type
The first thing you’ll notice is that Mesics (LC Lactate) is currently only available for Windows. Not on macOS. INSCYD runs on all operating systems.
Sports
To our best knowledge, Mesics (LC Lactate) is currently available for cyclists, runners, rowers and swimmers. INSCYD is available for all sports.
Test protocol
Once you have access to the software, it’s time to think of your first test.
When it comes to the test protocol, Mesics (LC Lactate) software is created for conventional step tests and only for these tests. These are tests that use a protocol in which intensity increases step-by-step until max intensity.
INSCYD on the other hand accepts all kinds of test protocols. You may even create your own protocol as you see fit. Here’s a short list of test options:
- Max- and submaximal tests
- Lab tests, with or without VO2 measurements
- Field tests, with or without lactate measurements
- Power or GPS based tests, e.g. cycling- or running power, or running GPS
- Remote tests, that athletes can perform without a coach
In other words, INSCYD is very flexible when it comes to test protocols. As a result, you can use your preferred protocol without the need to invest in extra equipment. On the other hand: all test hardware you already have can be used as input.
INSCYD Partners
Remote testing
Especially the opportunity to test remotely with INSCYD helps both labs and coaches to:
- Increase target audience
- Make testing more time efficient
- Do more relevant tests
Tests become more relevant by including specific efforts of interest. For example: a typical training effort, or a race simulation.
Successful labs use remote tests to reduce labour time. They do hybrid testing: part of the test is outsourced to the athlete “at home”, part of the test is still in the lab. As a result they can test more athletes in a short amount of time (often in the afternoon or weekends), without losing the added value of lab testing.
INSCYD combines these test results into 1 metabolic profile: a holistic 360° performance analysis.
With Mesics (LC Lactate), it’s not possible to test remotely.
Hardware connectivity
When it comes to data input, there is a difference between Mesics (LC Lactate) and INSCYD.
Mesics enables you to directly connect your measurement hardware (e.g. h/p/cosmos, Polar, EKF BioSen, Cyclus2, Lactate Scout) to the LC Lactate software via their LabConnector. As a result, no manual entry is necessary. BUT: only if you buy labconnector.
INSCYD cannot directly connect to your measurement tool, but it is hardware independent. Meaning you can use all devices as an input source. Simply upload your (raw) file into INSCYD or use the manual entry mode.
Both Mesics and INSCYD store the test data in one place. Mesics stores it on your local machine. INSCYD stores it in the cloud, which means it’s available regardless of the device you use.
Validation test data
After the exercise test, it’s time to take a closer look at the test data.
We all know: bad data in = bad data out.
But how do you know the quality of your test data? Even the most accurate measurement tools can make mistakes.
INSCYD immediately flags possible errors in the data. It uses a so-called self-auditing mechanism that cross-validates the test results. It’s an internal double-check, to see whether there are no outliers. There is also a plausibility check for VO2max and other metrics: for example, if the measured VO2max is lower than the VO2 in sub-max runs it flags. INSCYD also shares a sum of squared errors in your lactate test data
Mesics does not validate your test data. However, when you disagree with a threshold (e.g. VT2), you can manually increase or decrease it.
Don’t limit yourself to conventional step tests. Ensure the quality of your test data with INSCYD’s self-auditing mechanism. Book a call with INSCYD to discover how our flexible test protocols can provide more accurate and relevant data for your training.
Difference in test results and metabolic profile report
Once you approve the test data , you have access to the results and report. This is where you’ll notice the biggest difference.
Mesics (LC Lactate) test results
LC Lactat shows in detail what happened during the test. It plots raw data in a nice way.
It uses the 4 mmol/L mark as the anaerobic threshold, regardless of the step test protocol. But it allows you to use all kinds of threshold concepts. What id doesn’t do is picking automatically the one that fits best to the protocol. Hence opening up errors because one may choose bad combinations
Since Mesics (LC Lactate) is focussing on the test itself, it makes sense they provide you with all kinds of test plots, like the famous Wasserman 9-panel plot.
INSCYD test results
The INSCYD test results are very different.
Instead of solely focusing on the test, INSCYD focuses on the outcome: the metabolic profile of the athlete. Even when you use different test protocols, you’re always able to compare the results, while in Mesics (LC Lactate) you may only compare results of the same protocol
The INSCYD test results include many actionable metrics, like:
- Intensity at which you burn the most fat (FatMax)
- Aerobic power (VO2max)
- Glycolytic power (VLamax)
- Anaerobic threshold (MLSS)
- (Running) economy
- Glycogen availability
It also enables you to dive deeper into the dynamics of:
- Fat- and carbohydrate combustion, depending on exercise intensity
- Lactate accumulation and recovery, depending on exercise intensity
- Oxygen uptake, lactate production and lactate combustion, depending on exercise intensity
These metrics and graphs are available, even if you don’t use a metabolic cart.
The added value of Mesics seems to stop after analyzing the test. With INSCYD, this is where the true value starts. With the test results, you can now use INSCYD to:
- Create interval workouts that take lactate accumulation and recovery into account.
- Make a detailed pacing plan for a time trial or marathon, by looking at lactate dynamics.
- Come up with a fueling (nutrition) plan to prevent bonking, by using the carbohydrate combustion graph.
- Create highly individual training zones, based on metabolic metrics like FatMax.
- Determine the best exercise intensity for VO2max intervals, depending on your VLamax goal.
- And many more practical applications
We hope this comparison article gives you a quick overview of some of the possibilities and differences between Mesics (LC Lactate) and INSCYD. You can learn more about Mesics (LC Lactate) and INSCYD by clicking here.
Do you have any questions? Feel free to reach out! We are here to help.
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