Heart Monitor Question

[FRiC]

I had to install both the Polar Beat, and Polar Flow apps, make sure I had a Polar account, and was logged into that account in both apps.

Yeah thanks, I've seen you had written that somewhere else and tried but still couldnt' get it to work. Even tried on both Android and iOS. Will give it another go sometime. These days when rowing I usually use a PowerCal (with a Polar strap) so I can use Zwift without fiddling with the PM5.

[dave2013]

CJOttawa: I am curious if you have encountered any problems with the H10 recording your heart rate. I have been using the H10 recently and I am getting some very erratic heart rate data. For example, the heart rate graph produced by the Polar Beat app shows sudden drops or spikes in the heart rate that do not reflect actual performance. Are your graphs showing consistent and regular heart rate activity? [Sorry but I would post a screenshot of a recent session that illustrates my problem but apparently this forum no longer allows attachments.]

[CJOttawa]

CJOttawa: I am curious if you have encountered any problems with the H10 recording your heart rate. I have been using the H10 recently and I am getting some very erratic heart rate data. For example, the heart rate graph produced by the Polar Beat app shows sudden drops or spikes in the heart rate that do not reflect actual performance. Are your graphs showing consistent and regular heart rate activity? [Sorry but I would post a screenshot of a recent session that illustrates my problem but apparently this forum no longer allows attachments.]

No issues that I can tell.

FWIW, I connect via ANT+ and don't use the Polar Beat app - I broadcast direct to my Garmin watch, and a PM5, via ANT+, and gym equipment via Polar GymLink 5kHz.

In general - not specific to the H10 - I find BTLE much less reliable than ANT+. (maybe the result of ANT+ transmitting in the blind and BTLE requiring pairing)

[FRiC]

FWIW I also have no issues with my Polar H10 (aside from the firmware update issue, still doens't work). I regularly use it with my Garmin watch and PM5 (ANT+) and also with Zwift on my Android and iPad (BLE). No dropouts and far more stable than everything else that I have.

[mrjaco]

I also use a Wahoo tickr strap. On my PM5 bikeerg I can connect H.R. thru the erg data app. On my older rower that has a PM2 I use my iPhone and connect my HR thru Wahoo's free phone APP

[tmozer3]

I am new to indoor rowing with the Concept 2 (PM5 monitor). What heart rate monitor is suggested? I am looking for best "bang for the buck" and also would prefer an arm or wrist monitor but would be ok with a chest mounted hrm.

[tmozer3]

I think I will go with the Scosche Rhythm+ Heart Rate Monitor Armband. I'd rather an armband than a chest band. However I saw somewhere that the arm motion with rowing can screw up the heart rate readings. Is that an issue I should be cautious of?

[lindsayh]

I think I will go with the Scosche Rhythm+ Heart Rate Monitor Armband. I'd rather an armband than a chest band. However I saw somewhere that the arm motion with rowing can screw up the heart rate readings. Is that an issue I should be cautious of?

Many wrist based monitors are unreliable but apparently upper arms correlate well. Greg Smith and others to have done direct comparisons.
https://quantifiedrowing.com/

[Ripples]

I think I will go with the Scosche Rhythm+ Heart Rate Monitor Armband. I'd rather an armband than a chest band. However I saw somewhere that the arm motion with rowing can screw up the heart rate readings. Is that an issue I should be cautious of?

I use the Rhythm+. It works well. Wore the Scosche on my wrist using Polar Beat on my phone and my Garmin chest band with the PM5 to check for accuracy. HR readings were the same. Arm band is much more comfortable for me so that’s what I use.

[POGtastic]

I bought the Rhythm+ based on this thread and have been totally happy with it. The default placement on the upper arm doesn't work very well for rowing, but the wrist is just fine.

[Rene]

CJOttawa: I am curious if you have encountered any problems with the H10 recording your heart rate. I have been using the H10 recently and I am getting some very erratic heart rate data. For example, the heart rate graph produced by the Polar Beat app shows sudden drops or spikes in the heart rate that do not reflect actual performance. Are your graphs showing consistent and regular heart rate activity? [Sorry but I would post a screenshot of a recent session that illustrates my problem but apparently this forum no longer allows attachments.]

Hi Dave,

My graphs aren't consistent with regular heart rate activity during exercise as well.
The Polar Beat app also shows sudden drops, or spike's in my heart rate that don't reflect actual performance.
I use the Polar Vantage M watch and the H10 for running. As said by the manufacturer I find that the heart rate data from the H10 is more accurate. But now there is something else that needs to be solved. Would you, or anyone reading happen to know how to lock a heart rate zone on the polar beat app?

Good luck on your training endeavours!

- Rene

[jamesg]

My graphs aren't consistent with regular heart rate activity during exercise as well.

Have you tried listening directly to your heart? I know mine misses a beat every so often, I can hear it and have for years. This shows up as changes in HR on the watch and PM, even though averaging over a numer of beats. Cardiologist was even less worried than me.

Any graphing system that registers single beats will necessarily show spikes in such cases.

Just one more reason why HR is a useless proxy for something we already know, at least on the erg: Watts.

[bojam]

About the erratic hrm readings, I used to use Polar but switched to Garmin ... the Garmin was ok for a while until it started being erratic losing beats and having spikes ... I solved it by getting a replacement strap ... off ebay so far has happened again.

I tend to use a garmin Ant strap and connect the pm5 to a tablet using BT ... sometimes it takes a while to connect everything up.

[Nomath]

...
Just one more reason why HR is a useless proxy for something we already know, at least on the erg: Watts.

I totally disagree!
The heart rate gives a very pure account of the reserves of your engine. The watts are a lumped result of various internal and external factors. It is a poor monitor.

Only 6 years ago I was able to the row the 5K significantly below 20 minutes (19:35), all 1K splits below 4:00, an average power of 216W. That was because I carefully watched my HR to stay below 160 bpm (1K splits : 139-149-154-158-159 bpm) because I knew that my HRmax was around 166 and I can sustain 90-95% of HRmax over at least 10 mins. Now I cannot even row 500m below 2:00. The average power on my seasonal best 5K has dropped to 165W (i.e. -25%) because of age-related decline. My HF-max is now about 160 and I have to monitor my splits not to exceed 155 bpm. That's only 6 bpm less (-3%).

Your and my best seasonal 5K are listed in the 70-79 age group ranking. The top performer manages a pace of 1:48.9 (271W) ; the 90-percentile point has a pace of 2:02.6 (190W), the 50-percentile pace is 2:17.3 (134W) and the 25-percentile pace is 2:31.0 (102W). That is a power ratio of 2.5:1. I guess that at least 2/3's of the 70-79 age group who rank their best seasonal 5K did their effort at an average heart rate above 90% of HR-max, roughly between 140 and 160 bpm. It shows that heart rate is the more specific monitor and power can be anything.

Watts depend not only on the state and reserves of the heart, but also on body size and weight, technique, damper setting and on the chosen distance. It is a very mixed bag.

Cycling is a sport that has been studied scientifically much more than rowing, probably because it has a professional edge. Specific monitors for the balance between training load and recovery have been developed based on HR. One is Lamberts Submaximal Cycling Test. The test involves 6 min cycling at 60% of HRmax, 6 mins at 80% of HRmax and 3 mins at 90% of HRmax, without intermediate rests. The power produced at 90W and drop in HR within 60 seconds after stopping are results of this test that can guide optimal training. It could be useful for rowing too.