If you’re training for an upcoming event, and especially if you are balancing much more than just training in your life, look for a heart rate monitor that measures heart rate variability. HRV is a measure of the millisecond deviations from a regular heartbeat, and is quickly replacing resting heart rate as the gold standard for determining how rested or fatigued you are. Some heart rate monitors and fitness trackers now measure HRV ( heart rate variability). Some, like the Garmin Softstrap Premium, broadcast only an ANT+ signal. But not all heart rate straps are Bluetooth-enabled. Some devices, like the Suunto 9 Baro, measure heart rate via optical sensor and can connect to a Bluetooth heart rate strap, like the Wahoo Tickr X, for a higher level of accuracy. These days, smartwatches and fitness trackers are mostly Bluetooth-enabled, and many have their own companion apps and analysis software, like Garmin Connect and Polar Flow. Devices with optical sensors need to fit as snugly as possible, and the farther up the arm they sit (on your forearm or bicep, for example), the better the readings will be. Suvilaakso cautions that muscle tension when gripping the handlebar, as well as cold weather, can restrict blood flow in the wrist, and bumps from the road can send little shocks to the wrist that disrupt blood flow and cause inaccurate readings. Because they are dependent on blood flow to register heart rate data, they are prone to imprecise readings for a variety of reasons. Optical, or PPG (photoplethysmography), sensors shine an LED light through the skin and record the changes in blood flow from the pumping of the heart. According to Polar’s Chief Strategy Officer, Marco Suvilaakso, “high-quality chest straps.are still superior in providing the more reliable and responsive HR data versus optical sensors.” Optical Versus ElectricalĮlectrical heartbeat monitors, also called ECG (electrocardiography) monitors, measure the electrical signals that control expansion and contraction of the heart via a chest strap. This can help you target your workouts for fitness, fat-burning, or other goals. It’s also a critical indicator of how challenging your workout is, as the same workout metrics impact each athlete differently. ![]() Why use a heartbeat monitor? Your heart rate tells you a lot about your workout, and can be a key piece of information to track fitness, progress, and changes over time. Polar introduced the first wireless wearable heartbeat monitor-the Sport Tester PE2000-in 1978, but it wasn’t until 1982, when Polar introduced the Sport Tester PE3000, that users could view and analyze heart rate data in real time, thus ushering in the era of using heart rate data to objectively analyze health and performance.ĭespite heartbeat monitors being widely used by athletes, it wasn’t until recently, with the advent of optical heartbeat sensors, fitness trackers, and smartwatches, that heart rate data truly became available to the masses. Heartbeat monitors have been around for decades.
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