Related
Options

Tracking of HIIT

Rado
over 4 years ago

Hi all!

I recently purchased a Garmin Fenix 6x Pro, and couldn't be happier.

I do however have a burning question - how do I track a High Intensity Interval Training? I saw a couple of suggestions that I should use the Cardio workout for this, but it doesn't seem right as the calorie count is way off. 

So far I have been using a Polar H10 with the Polar Beat app and I have a pretty descent baseline of the usual calorie count. I had used the same HR monitor and app with gym equipment in the past and the calorie counts have been consistent (between the calculated from the app and the equipment when both are connected to the same HR).

So, when I got the watch I did my usual workout with the OHR only for the watch and the usual HR monitor with Beat app combo. The app showed the usual amount, but the watch was about 17% below. The next day I connected the H10 to the watch via ANT+ and at the same time to my phone and the Polar Beat app via Bluetooth. As expected, the watch had perfect reception and the HR was the same between the watch and the phone.

And here is where it gets interesting - while I was keeping the intervals at about 2 minutes (1m effort and 1m cool down) both calorie counts were about the same (+/- 3). However, the moment I started doing intervals shorter than 1 minute (30s effort and about 30s cool down), the watch started dropping hard. In the end the difference was about 13%. I attribute the 4% difference from the first try due to the different measurement devices, so this doesn't bother me.

But I wonder where the difference comes from - is it the different algorithms? Or maybe I should track using a different activity profile?

Any help will be appreciated!

Rado 

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    OHR is not fast enough in reflecting quick HR changes. The best way is to use your Polar H10 for workouts especially when the intervals are so short.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to AnatoliAngelov

    Hi Anatoli!

    Thank you very much for reply! These were my thoughts exactly and this is why I did exactly that - paired the Polar H10 with the watch and the phone, but the watch was 13% less than the App.

    So I am stumped. My only idea is that even with an external HR the system, with Cardio activity selected, the watch does not recognize effectively the quick changes and treats them like fluctuations.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Rado

    Try setting the power mode to ”Jacket mode” so that the WHR is disabled to be 100% sure it’s not taking its HR data from there. If that still gives the same result, I would try using a different activity profile, like Run.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to johanwiren

    Thanks Johan!

    While on the external HR monitor I did check it and the OHR wasn't working, but I will definitely set it to Jacket mode.

    As for the activity, I'll definitely try Run. I will also try the Strength. Maybe this will account for the HR cycles.

    I'll keep you posted if this works. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    I guess you mean HIIT strenght training. For me, I record those with the normal strenght workout app. I also use custom-made workouts sometimes, so this helps me keep track of the reps I've done.

    Also, imho, for serious use never use WHR. For me, only for steady running or indoor bikes will it give me somewhat accurate results. WHR is ok for 24/7 tracking, but not for more. Of course, there are people who get good, even great, results with WHR, so ymmv.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Rado
    Rado said:
    My only idea is that even with an external HR the system, with Cardio activity selected, does not recognizer effectively the quick changes and treats them like fluctuations.

    There is also a physiological limitation. Your heart does not react immediately to change in intensity. Depending on how fit a person is it can take up to 30s to respond.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Dr Phil
    Dr Phil said:
    There is also a physiological limitation. Your heart does not react immediately to change in intensity. Depending on how fit a person is it can take up to 30s to respond.

    Exactly. And afaik, the sports profile have no impact on the HR readings whatsoever.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Scorp1981

    Hi Scorp! Thank you for the suggestion. I will try the Strength profile with a Jacket power management and the chest strap. I'll keep you posted on the results.

    As for th WHR, for me it works surprisingly well when I compare the results to the ones from a chest strap - they are off by about 3bpm, so more or less on the spot. However I cometely agree that for serious things nothing beats the chest sensors. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Dr Phil

    Thanks Philip! True, and for me the spike starts at about the 10-15sec which the chest strap captures immediately. My issue is more with the algorithm that calculates the workload based on those values. The Polar Beat app works like a charm, but the calculations from the watch don't seem to capture the short intervals as actual values and seem to treat them as fluctuation values and "flatten them".

    Fingers crossed that by using another workout profile and Jacket power mode will help patch things up until a dedicated HIIT activity profile is released. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Scorp1981

    Agreed, but they affect the calculation algorithms which is the essence of my issue. But, tomorrow I'll try the suggestions and keep you all appraised.