Intensity minutes

I noticed a few posts about issues with intensity minutes. Really never looked at the value until yesterday I noticed that my number is very low for the week. I remember getting a higher number before. What is the threshold for heart rate to be considered intensity minutes? When I do a cycling workout and my hr is at 70% of my max, is that considered intensity minutes?

0 Pierrotsc over 2 years ago in reply to -

interesting. the support guy told me to change my activity tracking knowing that i had a fenix 6. so i changed it in garmin connect. he also told me that my heart rate was low and i could change my zones, meaning that i could get intensity minutes in zone 2 instead of reaching zone 3. i did not mess with that. so i have to assume that changing the activity minutes may have done something to the algorithm although i agree it does say that the fenix 6 may not use that.

0 trux over 2 years ago in reply to iGO

iGO said:
Does anyone know how the calculation of intensity minutes works on setting "based on = automatic"? The description in GC tells not much.

"... comparing your activity HR with your avg resting HR"

I mention some empirical data in the thread Intensity minute

The default algorithm using the Resting HR is better as long as your RHR is being correctly detected. It will not work for people who only wear the watch when active, or who disable the HRM frequently. It will also not work well for those who have problems with reliable HR readings. If it is your case, you may consider using HR Zones instead of the default RHR based algorithm.

As I wrote in the above mentioned thread, I experimented with it, and detected that IM's are being awarded at the HR of approximately 150% of your average Resting HR (and I mean the avg. RHR in the day of the activity). At vigorous minutes it is approximately 200%. That was measured on Instinct. Not sure for other models, but do not think it would vary much.

You can test it easily yourself - for example while pedaling on an indoor bike steadily at certain HR, watching the IM amount in real-time, and recording at which HR value it starts incrementing (and double-incrementing for the vigorous IM).

Of course, you have to keep on mind, that the IMs start to increment only after staying minimally 10 consecutive minutes without interruption in the intensive HR level. Only then you can start measuring.

Once you detect the intensive and vigorous HR levels, compare them to your current average Resting HR, and you get the factor.

0 - over 2 years ago in reply to trux

Thx for the explanation. Yesterday I was riding with my family. I did not use my F6x to record it, but my Edge 530.

My resting HR is 56 bpm and it is set to 56 for years.

It was a long, 5 hours net, 7 hours gross, but very easy ride. Nevertheless my HR was in the range of 90-110 bpm, so well above the 150% of my RHR.

My intensity minutes calc is set to auto.

AND I got only 65 minutes, thus my experience is far from yours.

Certainly I can make my own test as you described it, but I a have a fear that maybe more factors are considered than 10 mins consecutive, and a simple threshold of 150%ish or 200%ish.

0 trux over 2 years ago in reply to -

- said:
I did not use my F6x to record it, but my Edge 530

Edge computers do not support Intensity Minutes. You have to keep wearing your F6, if you want them counted.

0 - over 2 years ago in reply to -

Let me add that during the ride I was checking the intensity on my F6X for an hour or so, because I found its daily increase until that point to be too low.

And the weekly IM did not increase on my F6X either while I was in the range of 90-110bpm for more than 30 minutes without any drop below 90 bpm.

My F6x did not know certainly that my Edge 530 was recording. So the reason of the lack of increase had nothing to do with 530.

The only perfect thing was that F6x calculated 65 minutes as Move IQ, the same as 530 did as a recorded activity.

The most funniest part is that F6x made it in 3 portions, 42, 17 and 6 minutes. Who the hell it can be 6 minutes if there has to be at least 10 mins consecutive elevated heart rate.

0 trux over 2 years ago in reply to -

- said:
My F6x did not know certainly that my Edge 530 was recording. So the reason of the lack of increase had nothing to do with 530.

The question was rather whether you wore the F6 at all, during the ride. And what was your average RHR for that given day? Check it at https://connect.garmin.com/modern/report/60/wellness/last_seven_days

0 trux over 2 years ago in reply to trux

.. and another question is, whether the F6 is set as the Preferred Activity Tracker, and then what option you selected for the IM - default or HR Zones?

0 trux over 2 years ago in reply to trux

You best post a screenshot of the HR graph for the given time, and another screenshot of the Resting HR graph, so that we can see where the problems is.

0 - over 2 years ago in reply to trux

I was wearing and on my skin, so its OHR could work properly. My 530 used my hr strap as input.

As a coincidende my 7 days RHR is exactly 56 (53,56,58,58,57,59), but if it were 55 or 57 it would not make a difference

0 - over 2 years ago in reply to trux

F6x is my preferred and as I already wrote I chose auto (it is in my language, but then it is default in English), so not HR zones