Weird Polar H7/H10 HR data

[sdr2017]

I occasionally use a HR monitor just to see what is happening with my HR in the workout. I did it a lot last year when I first started rowing, but only occasionally do it now. Here is a typical results from an Aug 13 workout. It is the first half of my SS rowing session, 20 min, 3 min rest, 20 min.

It looks like the file does not load. The short version is that the pace is 2:12.2, and the avg heart rate is 139. Maximum is 145. The HR smoothly rises to 145 at the end of the session.

I gave away that heart monitor and got one of the new H10 monitors. This is where it gets weird. I did a workout Sept 7 with almost the same performance, 2:10.8. But now the average HR is 152 and the max is 159. I did essentially the same workout this morning with the same results, so the H10 is consistent. It also gives me a HR 13 pulses per minute higher than the H7 did a month ago. The H7 was sometimes flaky, but it was consistent with my average and maximum HR. The new H10 finds more pulses in my workouts. It is reported to be more accurate than the H7 model.

Has anyone else seen this effect with H10 monitors?

On some level I do not care, but I have been paying a little attention to HR training bands. I had assumed my maximum HR was around 165 based on prior results with the H7 and my age. Today I pushed hard for a minute near the end of my SS workout and the reported HR was 164. I am guessing my maximum HR must be higher than 175 because I am just not working that hard to get these new heart rates. The old and new SS workouts feel about the same; they may be AT workouts based on sweating and hard breathing but not panting. The numbers sort of made sense with the H7 and a maximum HR of 165. Now I have no idea what they mean, if anything.

Comments would be welcome.

Scott

[johnlvs2run]

That might be an issue with modern chest bands and/or the C2 monitor in general.

I've been using a Garmin hrm1g the last couple of weeks with a pm5, and noticed right away that the readings were quite high, even for moderate skierg skiing. Yesterday I did a 10k pb, and the first 2k reading was higher than my max heart rate ever was with a Nashbar heart rate monitor that I still have. Then with the pace getting significantly faster, the reading went down the second 2k, which it shouldn't do, and then back up to what it had been at 2k but didn't increase beyond that, still with much faster pace. None of that makes any sense, for several different reasons.

Thus I'm convinced that either the hrm1g chest band is not accurate, or else the pm5 does not accurately display the readings.

[lcantey]

Thus I'm convinced that either the hrm1g chest band is not accurate, or else the pm5 does not accurately display the readings.

No idea what is going on in your case but I just wanted to mention that in the case of my dual BTLE/ANT band the heart rate reported on the PM5 and my phone always matched (minus a beat or two during refresh when it was moving up or down).

[mdpfirrman]

I'd be curious to find out what you end up thinking. I had an H7 and thought it was inaccurate on the PM5 and haven't had one since (that's been around a year and a half ago). Now, I've been considering another one. I have heard the Wahoo ANT+ (Tickr X I think is their latest one) works a bit more accurately than the H7 but I've been reading really good things about the H10 and was thinking about diving in. I'm just wondering at this point if I should just go back to the old school ones that don't integrate but just record really accurate HR from a strap and a wristwatch (and just not worry about the rowing integration).

[bob01]

I have a garmin HR strap and fenix 5 watch and a edge 1000

On PM5 they all give the same current HR.

2 points...

* I find that rowing gives a higher max than say cycling (and at all levels of perceived effort!)

* The PMs wont give a an average hr and possibly max... as it takes the HR at the end of each split and gives an average of that (even if the last split is shorter)... Ive been moaning about this elsewhere.

Can you wear them both ... link to a monitor... perhaps if there is 2 at your gym ... a watch or if you have a ant + dongle a phone (is one Bluetooth/Ant +?)

[sdr2017]

I have done a few more session with the H10 HR monitor. I will say that the numbers are consistent from day to day, and the curves are smooth and look reasonable. The H7 often got flaky and bounced around in crazy ways. I could not really do HR zone training because it would bounce around unexpectedly. The H10 appears to be much more reliable. I think it is a good HR monitor.

Since the H10 gives me higher HR numbers when exercising, I need to think about where to put the zones for training. I will keep track of HR for low and high intensity training and see where that leads me. I should probably use it to measure resting HR also so I am using the same instrument for all my HR calibration.

Scott