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Missing heart rate data on daily summary / missing intensity minutes (Zwift related)

Hi all,

I've had an issue with Garmin Connect (web and android version) for a few years, and while not troubling at the time I want to use garmin connect more for overall fitness tracking. I own a vivoactive 3 watch.

I'll try to be a brief as possible, but here's my setup - the issue relates specifically to zwift activities;

HR chest strap paired to zwift on pc laptop or occasionally ipad

Zwift activities upload to Garmin and Strava automatically

Garmin account linked to Strava

All other activities using the vivoactive 3 (running etc.) are included on the daily summary page (both app and web connect), except zwift. Zwift activities also don't count towards intensity minutes either.

Example daily summary page;

You can see my zwift activity around 1pm, but no HR data.

Strangely, the same activity does have HR data attached to the event logged/imported to Garmin as below;

I've searched the zwift and garmin forums on and off over the past few years, but there doesn't seem to be this exact issue on record anywhere.

The quick solution I've found is to wear the vivoactive 3 watch and start a virtual ride at the same time as zwift, but annoyingly that duplicates the activity (so I have a virtual ride as well as the zwift activity). I've also tried pairing the watch with zwift (via ant+) to be the only HR sensor, but the duplication issue remains.

Has anyone encountered this issue? All I want is my zwift activities to be included on the daily summary page and count towards intensity minutes. I believe it will also help calculate a more accurate V02 max rating.

Top Replies

trux over 1 year ago in reply to 7406003 +1 verified

7406003 said:
So the question now is, does wearing a HR strap and watch somehow mean the watch doesn't report HR accurately?

As I wrote, you have to start an activity on the watch in order that it reads…

All Replies

0 trux over 1 year ago

7406003 said:
The quick solution I've found is to wear the vivoactive 3 watch and start a virtual ride at the same time as zwift,

Yes, you have to wear your Garmin device, since Zwift does not count any activity minutes, it is the Garmin device that does it. However, there is no need to start an activity, as long as the wrist HRM works all right, and detects your HR correctly. And if it does not, then you can indeed connect the HRM chest belt to you watch, and start the activity, but there is no need to save it, to have the IMs counted. Simply discard it at the end, and there will be no duplicate activity.

7406003 said:
I believe it will also help calculate a more accurate V02 max rating.

There is absolutely no relation between VO₂max and Intensity Minutes (expect that both use the HR data in some way). So no, having IMs counted accurately will have no impact on your VO₂max level.

0 7406003 over 1 year ago in reply to trux

Thanks for replying - I'll try this advice and report back

0 7406003 over 1 year ago in reply to trux

Tested wearing the vivoactive 3 without starting an activity, but have an issue with the HR it's reporting. Example below, the 2 bike rides on zwift reporting a lower HR than the chest strap reported (in 2nd pic). HR during activities such as the run (no chest strap) ok, along with the walk later on.

So the question now is, does wearing a HR strap and watch somehow mean the watch doesn't report HR accurately? 129bpm vs 188bpm in this example.

+1 trux over 1 year ago in reply to 7406003

7406003 said:
So the question now is, does wearing a HR strap and watch somehow mean the watch doesn't report HR accurately?

As I wrote, you have to start an activity on the watch in order that it reads from the HRM (besides having them connected, of course). At the end, you do not need to save the activity, you can discard it.

0 7406003 over 1 year ago in reply to trux

Thank you, tested this and works well!