Chest Strap vs Watch. Which Heart Rate Monitor Should You Use?
Summary
TLDRAlecia from WILDR discusses the differences between heart rate straps and optical heart rate monitors in sports watches. She explains how heart rate straps, which measure electrical signals from the heart, offer 99.6% accuracy but can be uncomfortable. In contrast, optical monitors on sports watches use green light to track blood flow but may be less reliable during high-intensity activities. Alecia recommends using a heart rate strap for precise interval training and a watch for lower-intensity exercises. She also suggests starting with a strap for zone training and using the optical monitor for resting heart rate measurements.
Takeaways
- π Heart rate training is a common topic of confusion when choosing the right device for accurate readings.
- πͺ Heart rate straps are 99.6% accurate if worn correctly and detect electrical signals from the heart.
- π¬ The main drawback of heart rate straps is that they can be uncomfortable to wear, especially during long workouts.
- π§ Moisture, such as sweat or water, can help improve signal transmission for heart rate straps.
- β Optical heart rate monitors on watches use green light to detect blood flow changes, offering a more comfortable experience.
- π€ Optical heart rate monitors can sometimes misinterpret rhythmic movement as heartbeats, leading to less accurate readings.
- π Dirt, sweat, or excessive blood flow can interfere with the optical heart rate monitor's accuracy.
- π For high-intensity interval training, a heart rate strap is recommended for its precision.
- πΆ For lower-intensity, long-duration workouts, the optical heart rate monitor on a watch may be more convenient.
- π± A heart rate strap connected to a smartphone is a good starting point for heart rate training, while optical watches can be a long-term upgrade.
Q & A
What is the purpose of heart rate training?
-Heart rate training helps individuals monitor their fitness levels and optimize their training intensity by ensuring they are exercising in the correct heart rate zones for specific goals, such as improving endurance or speed.
What are the two types of heart rate monitors discussed in the video?
-The two types of heart rate monitors discussed are heart rate straps, which use electrical signals, and optical heart rate monitors, which use light sensors built into sports watches.
How does a heart rate strap work?
-A heart rate strap detects the electrical signals from the heart to measure the time between beats and calculate heart rate. It is highly accurate, with a 99.6% accuracy rate when worn properly.
What are the common drawbacks of using a heart rate strap?
-The main drawbacks of using a heart rate strap are that it can be uncomfortable to wear on the chest, especially during long workouts, and it may not pick up a signal well before the user starts sweating.
How can users improve the performance of a heart rate strap if it's not picking up signals well?
-Users can apply water or spit to the sensors on the strap to improve conductivity and ensure a better connection between the strap and their skin.
How does an optical heart rate monitor work?
-An optical heart rate monitor measures heart rate by emitting light into the skin and detecting changes in blood flow, based on how much light is absorbed by hemoglobin in the blood.
What are the potential issues with optical heart rate monitors?
-Optical heart rate monitors can be less accurate due to factors like rhythmic movement, dirt or sweat on the sensor, or changes in blood flow during high-intensity exercise.
When is it better to use a heart rate strap over an optical monitor?
-A heart rate strap is preferred during interval training or exercises where precise heart rate monitoring is needed within a small, specific range.
When is it better to use an optical heart rate monitor instead of a strap?
-An optical heart rate monitor is more suitable for long, slow, lower-intensity activities or for monitoring resting heart rate, as it is more comfortable and provides sufficient accuracy for these purposes.
What should someone new to heart rate training consider when choosing a device?
-For beginners, it's recommended to start with a heart rate strap that connects to a smartphone for accurate zone training. Eventually, they can invest in a sports watch with an optical heart rate monitor.
Outlines
π Heart Rate Training Devices Overview
Alecia introduces the topic of heart rate training devices, focusing on heart rate straps and optical heart rate monitors. She works for WILDR, a company that helps people prepare for various adventures like running and skiing. She outlines the questions people often have about choosing the right device for heart rate monitoring and highlights the purpose of the video: to explain the differences between heart rate straps and optical heart rate monitors found in sports watches.
β±οΈ Heart Rate Strap: Accurate but Inconvenient
Alecia discusses heart rate straps, an older technology known for their accuracy (99.6% when worn correctly). These straps pick up electrical signals from the heart and calculate heart rate. While reliable, they must be worn on the chest, which can be uncomfortable and inconvenient. Alecia mentions issues like straps falling off during runs and suggests using water or spit to help with signal transmission. Once properly worn, the heart rate strap provides immediate and accurate readings.
β Optical Heart Rate Monitors: Convenient but Less Reliable
Alecia compares heart rate straps with optical heart rate monitors found in sports watches, explaining how the latter uses green light to detect blood flow and measure heart rate. These monitors are more comfortable as they are worn on the wrist, but they can be less accurate, especially when affected by rhythmic movements, sweat, or dirt. Alecia warns that they might misinterpret motion as heartbeats and struggle with accuracy during intense activity, making them less reliable for precise training.
π Best Uses for Heart Rate Strap vs. Optical Monitor
Alecia offers recommendations on when to use each device. She suggests using a heart rate strap for interval-based training where accuracy is crucial and an optical heart rate monitor for long, slow sessions where precision is less important. For beginners, she recommends starting with a heart rate strap that connects to a phone. She also advises using the optical monitor for resting heart rate measurements, as they are accurate enough for this purpose.
β Final Thoughts and Questions
Alecia concludes the video by encouraging viewers to reach out with any further questions about heart rate training. She signs off by wishing everyone a 'WILDR week,' wrapping up the detailed comparison of heart rate straps and optical heart rate monitors.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Heart rate strap
π‘Optical heart rate monitor
π‘Zone training
π‘Resting heart rate
π‘Electrical signal
π‘Blood flow
π‘Sports watch
π‘Heart rate variability
π‘Accuracy
π‘Interval-based training
Highlights
Alecia introduces the discussion on heart rate training and the importance of choosing the right device for accurate readings.
WILDR is described as a company focused on getting people adventure-ready, with activities ranging from running to skiing.
Heart rate straps are 99.6% accurate when worn correctly, as they measure the electrical signal from the heart.
Challenges with heart rate straps include the need to wear them tightly on the chest and issues with signal pickup before sweating.
A tip for better performance: applying water or spit to the strap helps transmit the electrical signal effectively.
Heart rate straps provide instantaneous readings, making them ideal for activities that require precise heart rate tracking.
Optical heart rate sensors on watches use green light to detect blood flow changes, offering a more convenient, wrist-based option.
Optical sensors, however, can be less accurate due to factors like rhythmic movement, dirt, sweat, or high blood flow during intense activity.
Alecia recommends using heart rate straps for interval-based training where accuracy in heart rate zones is critical.
For longer, lower-intensity activities, Alecia suggests using an optical heart rate watch, which provides sufficient accuracy.
If just starting, it's recommended to begin with a heart rate strap that connects to a phone for zone training.
In the long run, upgrading to a heart rate watch can offer additional convenience, particularly for casual or non-interval training.
Optical heart rate monitors are suitable for tracking resting heart rate and recovery due to lower movement and blood flow.
Alecia highlights the usefulness of the optical sensor for resting heart rate measurements, which can help assess recovery.
The session ends with Alecia inviting questions from listeners and encouraging them to continue heart rate training with WILDR.
Transcripts
Hey, WILDR folks, Alecia here.
Today we are talking about your
options when it comes to measuring
your heart rate.
And if you're new here I work for
WILDR. We are a company that uses
the adventure ready model to get you
ready for adventures of all kinds,
from running to skiing to everything
in between.
Now, when a lot of people first
get into heart rate training, they
have a lot of questions about what
device they should be using to get
accurate readings.
So today I'm going to talk to you
about your options, especially
talking about the differences
between a heart rate strap and
the optical heart rate monitor you
might have on the back of your
sports watch.
There are definite pros and cons to
both of these models, so we want to
make sure that we're picking the
right device for the right
situation.
Let's start with the heart
rate strap.
Now these are a very
old technology that we've been using
for a very long time, and they are
ninety nine point six percent
accurate if you are wearing them
correctly.
They have these sensors on the back
here, and what they do is actually
pick up the electrical signal
from your heart and they determine
the amount of time in between each
of those impulses and use that
to instantaneously figure out
what your heart rate would be if you
kept that same beat pattern for
an entire minute.
The drawback?
The biggest drawback to these things
that I've heard is that they can be
a little bit annoying to wear.
In order to wear them properly, you
need them on your chest
against your skin directly
underneath where your sports bra
sits.
And you need them tight enough that
those contact points always remain
in contact with your skin, but you
want to make sure they're not so
tight that they restrict your
breathing. And I have had these
straps on after a long run
had them fall down halfway through.
I've also had them not pick up a
signal at first before
I started sweating, and that's
because water on your skin
is going to really help that
electrical signal transmit
from your heart to the reader
so you can always put a little bit
of water on them to start off with.
Or if you need to, you
could use a little bit of spit to.
I have done that before.
But once you get this bad boy on
properly, you are going to get a
very accurate reading and it's going
to be instantaneous.
So the moment that your heart rate
increases, you will see it.
Now, if you're going to use one of
these, you're also going to need
something to pick up that signal so
you can see what it is.
The cool thing is, most phones
these days will pick up
a signal from a heart rate monitor
as long as the heart monitor is
transmitting in a language,
if you will, that your device can
one that works in conjunction with
your sports watch.
So I have a Garmin sports watch
here and I have a Garmin
heart rate monitor, and so the two
talk to each other without me having
to do any kind of setup at all.
Now a lot of these sports
watches nowadays
at almost every price level come
with a optical heart
rate sensor on the back of the
watch. So if I bring this in here.
You can see how there's these three
lights.
These light up there, we go
there and they give a green
light
when they are activated and then
there's a sensor in the middle.
And that sensor actually
picks up the reflection
of those that green light
through your skin
and back.
Now, how this measures is slightly
different, then the
heart rate strap you they're not
actually picking up an electrical
signal.
Instead, it's picking
up when there's an increase of
blood flow through your arteries.
It's sensing that because more
of that green light is going to be
absorbed by the hemoglobin
in your blood.
And so less of it is going to be
less of that light is going to be
reflected back into the watch.
Now this is really nice because
to be honest, having something just
on your wrist instead
of having something on your chest
can feel a lot more comfortable.
For starters, there's a lot more
ways this signal can be interfered
with. So they say that rhythmical
movement can be misinterpreted
by your watch as heartbeats.
So think anytime you're walking
or running, your watch may be
interpreting those movements
and counting them as additional
heart rates.
If there's any dirt or sweat
on the sensor that can
interfere with it, picking up
the return of light to the watch.
And finally, just having a large
amount of blood flowing underneath
the sensor. So if you
are working really hard and you've
got a lot more blood circulating
through your system, you might have
this watch over or underestimate
your heartbeatsper minute.
Now that's a huge problem
if you're trying to use zone
training to improve very
specific aspects of your physiology
when it comes to running.
So what does that actually mean for
using these devices for your
training? Well, what I recommend
and what I do personally is I
will use this heart rate strap when
I'm doing interval-basedtraining
when it's really important that I
have my heart rate in a very small
and specific range of
numbers.
If I'm instead doing
something long and slow
at a lower intensity where
I maybe have an upper cap on how
fast I want my heart rate beating,
but I don't have a lower cap then
I would use my heart rate watch
instead.
And to be honest, if you don't have
either device yet, I would probably
recommend that you get a heart rate
strap that connects with the phone
you already have to begin with
to help you with your zone training.
And then if you want to in the
longer run, you could get, pick up
one of these heart rate watches.
And then finally, if you're using
an indicator like your resting heart
rate first thing in the morning to
know if you're recovered enough and
if you're adapting to training, I
would rely on using that optical
heart rate monitor to look at
that kind of data because
you're not moving your heart
at a lower heart rate and you've got
less blood running through your
system.
So you're going to get enough
accuracy with this unit
to be able to look at those
variables.
If you've got any other questions
about heart rate training, I'd love
for you to send them to me.
Otherwise, I hope you have a WILDR
week and we'll talk to you soon.
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