Eradic / high HR after 7.10

I have the Fenix 5X and my wife has the Fenix 3. It seems both of us have been having high/static Heart rates from our external HR monitors since the update. The first 15 minutes or so it will show me instantly at 160. Afterwards it will settle down to my normal 145 or so.

My wife, who normally is in the 120-140 range on runs it had her around 200 (and she was walking not running).

Anyone else having issues with with the latest update?

0 bglover11 over 7 years ago

I have this exact issue after mostly every update from Garmin for at least the first few runs/rides. I'm using the HRM Run, not the wrist based data too. It usually settles down and works appropriately after several activities though. Mine will show ridiculous HR's (205+) for about the first 5 mins of those runs/rides. I have noticed that the longer I let the activity settle before I hit start the better the results.. as in I select "Ride" for instance but do that while I'm putting my shoes on/getting ready, etc then actually start the activity probably 3-5 mins later. When I do this, everything seems to perform better.

0 jburchm1 over 7 years ago

I have the same issue. It seems like the optical HR is dropping out very frequently and cadence locking a lot since 7.10. It's bad enough that I've considered downgrading.

0 mcalista over 7 years ago

High HR in the inititial minutes of a workout is a common problem with chest straps. It is caused by the strap picking up static electricity (often from the technical fabric of exercise clothing), rather than the heart's electrical signals. It usually settles down after a few minutes as sweat from exercise creates a better electrical contact between skin and strap. It is more common in winter (less sweat, and lower humidity creating more static).

Best ways to deal with this are:
* moisten the contact pads on the strap before your workout.
* Wash the strap - over time, the salt from sweat accumulates in the belt, giving static electricity a better pathway to the sensors. It may take a couple of washes to get this out. The older style straps will allow you to replace the cloth strap (you keep the sensor portion.
* Some people find using an anti-static fabric spray on their exercise tops also helps