Elevate your potential with breath analysis.

ZoneX is a device designed to measure ventilatory thresholds, just like other solutions on the market. However, it stands apart through a major technological innovation: the integration of a patented optical CO₂ sensor built directly into the device.

Unlike most competing devices that rely on chemical sensors, our optical technology offers several key advantages:

1. No Gas, No Complex Calibration

Chemical sensors require regular calibration using gas bottles, which leads to:

• Delicate, regulated handling

• The need for specially trained personnel

• Service interruptions during calibration

With ZoneX, all of these constraints disappear. The optical sensor is autocalibrating, maintenance-free, and requires no consumables.

2. Compact and Lightweight

Traditional devices are often bulky and heavy — some hospital-grade testing systems weigh up to 20 kg, including a PC tower and gas tanks. They're confined to specific settings like hospitals or specialized centers.

In contrast, ZoneX is compact, portable, and easy to carry, making it ideal for field use, in clubs, clinics, or on the go.

3. Far More Affordable

Competing systems typically cost between €15,000 and €35,000, not including maintenance, calibration, and consumables.

ZoneX offers a much more cost-effective solution — without compromising on data quality.

4. An Alternative to Traditional Lactate Testing

Classic lactate testing comes with several drawbacks:

• Requires up to 15 blood samples per test stage (earlobe or finger)

• Involves disposable consumables (strips, needles) costing around €20 per test

• Each stage must last at least 5 minutes, with extra time for blood collection

ZoneX removes all of these barriers:

• No blood sampling

• No consumables

• 1-minute stages, making tests faster and more comfortable for the athlete

In Summary:

ZoneX is simpler, faster, and more economical than traditional systems.

It allows coaches to run tests easily, in a non-invasive and athlete-friendly way, while providing reliable data and a dashboard to track test history and measure progress over time.

Until now, ventilatory threshold analysis has mainly relied on two traditional approaches:

• The use of chemical sensors, which require gas bottles, complex calibration procedures, and specially trained personnel.

• Lactate testing, which involves repeated blood sampling, heavy use of consumables, and long, intense effort sessions for the athlete.

The limitations of traditional lactate testing:

• At each stage, the athlete must undergo a blood draw (up to 10–15 times during a full test). These samples must be handled carefully to avoid contamination.

• The process requires single-use consumables (strips, needles), costing on average €25 per test.

• Each stage must last about 5 minutes to allow lactate to accumulate in the blood, significantly increasing the test’s duration and intensity.

• Factors such as the carbohydrate content of the last meal or handling errors can skew results.

ZoneX: No blood draws, no consumables, no hassle

ZoneX is based on a patented optical sensor that measures gas exchange — specifically exhaled CO₂ — to accurately identify VT1 and VT2 ventilatory thresholds.

What this changes in practice:

• No blood sampling: No invasive procedures or biological sample management.

• No consumables: No strips, needles, reagents, or disposable tools.

• Shorter test stages (1 minute): Faster and less fatiguing for the athlete, easier to integrate into a training session.

• Improved reliability: Results are not influenced by external factors like pre-test nutrition or human error.

Scientifically Validated

ZoneX’s performance has been scientifically validated in collaboration with the HP2 laboratory (Hypoxia and Cardiovascular & Respiratory Pathophysiology) in Grenoble, ensuring the scientific credibility of our technology.

ZoneX is plug-and-play, with no consumables and no lengthy training required. Thanks to its intuitive interface and automated testing protocol, getting started is quick and easy. In most cases, just 2 to 3 sessions are enough for coaches to feel completely comfortable with both the device and the software. Good news: those first test sessions are free.

The device comes with the PAIRFS software, a unique license key, and a user guide to walk you through setup step by step. Simply download PAIRFS on a PC or Mac, connect your heart rate monitor and your treadmill or bike trainer, and the software takes care of the rest—it automatically runs the test protocol.

Assemble ZoneX with the provided mask, adjust the head strap on your client, and start the test.The athlete runs or cycles while you monitor real-time breathing curves and performance metrics such as speed, power, heart rate, and exhaled air volume.

Simple, fast, and hassle-free.

Yes, ZoneX delivers scientifically validated results.

Our device has been tested in collaboration with the HP2 Laboratory in Grenoble (Hypoxia and Cardiovascular & Respiratory Pathophysiology), a leading center in exercise physiology.

The tests were conducted under the supervision of Dr. Stéphane Doutreleau, Head of the Pneumology-Physiology, Sport and Pathologies Department, which performs over 3,000 exercise tests each year. ZoneX was evaluated alongside hospital-grade reference systems in real-world conditions.

The results showed excellent agreement between ZoneX measurements and those of traditional systems, confirming the accuracy and reliability of our technology for ventilatory threshold detection.

Yes, the ZoneX device comes with a one-year warranty.

Additionally, if you perform more than 100 tests within a year, the warranty is automatically renewed. In the event of a malfunction, we are committed to sending you a replacement device promptly.

For more details, including exclusions, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions of Sale.

No, ZoneX requires no specific maintenance and no consumables.

The breathing tube, through which the user inhales and exhales, is easily removable and must be cleaned and sterilized after eash test, in accordance with current hygiene standards—specifically, NF 26782.

It is also dishwasher-safe, making daily maintenance simple and convenient.

Yes, ZoneX is perfectly suited for sequential testing in groups or teams.

Setup between athletes is quick, and the app automatically saves individual profiles for each user. This allows for smooth and organized management of multiple tests in a single session.

The coach can then access all results in a personalized dashboard, clearly sorted by athlete, enabling structured, comparative tracking of performance over time.

Not at all.

ZoneX was designed to democratize access to physiological testing that was once reserved for professional athletes. Knowing your ventilatory thresholds helps any athlete, regardless of level, to structure training more effectively, make faster progress, and do so without increasing training volume.

The device is ideal for both motivated beginners and elite athletes striving to optimize their performance.

👉 Please note: ZoneX is sold exclusively to sports professionals (coaches, teams, pro athletes, specialty stores, gyms, etc.) to ensure proper and effective use.

The test protocol used by ZoneX is the same as those performed in hospital-based exercise testing.

1. Setup

• Cycling: Mount the bike on a smart trainer.

• Running: The test is conducted on a treadmill.

ZoneX comes with dedicated software that connects to the ZoneX device, an optional heart rate monitor, and your treadmill or ergometer to automatically run the test protocol.

The software can connect to:

• Heart rate sensors

• Bluetooth-enabled (BLE) treadmills or cycling ergometers

Test data can also be exported and synced with a .FIT file afterward.

2. The Test (Sub-Maximal Incremental Test)

Warm-up phase

5 minutes at low intensity

Progressive effort phase

• Start at a moderate intensity (e.g., 100 watts on a bike or 6 km/h for running)

• Increase power (bike) or speed (running) every 1 minute

• Each stage should increase the workload by about 20 watts (cycling) or 0.5 km/h (running)

To identify your ventilatory thresholds, you only need to push slightly past VT2. With experience, these changes are visible in real time during the test.

You can, of course, go all-out to obtain your MAS (running) or MAP (cycling).

3. Data Analysis and Threshold Detection

The PAIRFS software automatically analyzes your data and detects your ventilatory thresholds.

At the end of the test, the software displays:

• For cycling: thresholds in watts and bpm

• For running: thresholds in speed/pace and bpm

VT1 (Ventilatory Threshold 1)

• Clear increase in exhaled volume

• Transition from calm to deeper breathing

VT2 (Ventilatory Threshold 2)

• Onset of marked hyperventilation

• Breathing becomes disproportionate to CO₂ production

This standardized protocol ensures reliable, repeatable, and actionable results—ideal for optimizing endurance training.

Absolutely.

ZoneX allows you to precisely tailor your effort to your actual physiological capacity by accurately identifying your ventilatory thresholds. By avoiding unnecessary intensity spikes, you reduce the risk of overtraining, chronic fatigue, or injury.

This helps you better manage training loads and promote more effective recovery—so you can progress safely and sustainably.

Not at the moment.

ZoneX is designed to accurately measure ventilatory thresholds by analyzing changes in exhaled volume and CO₂ production. However, it does not yet provide absolute VO₂ Max measurements.

That said, we are actively developing a second device called RespiX, which will include direct O₂ and CO₂ measurement to enable VO₂ Max calculation.

This ambitious project involves the creation of a new type of oxygen sensor—currently unavailable on the market—with an expected release timeline of about two years.

At PAIRFS, we’re committed to supporting you before, during, and after your purchase of ZoneX.

You’ll have access to a dedicated and responsive support team, ready to answer any technical or usage-related questions.

We also provide ongoing product support, including regular software updates to continuously enhance ZoneX’s features and performance.

Our goal: to ensure a smooth, reliable, and future-ready experience.