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Does displayed heart rate depend on activity selected?

My displayed heart rate is pretty accurate when sitting around and my resting HR seems pretty accurate also. When I climb a set of stairs it shoots up way too much (compared with an actual pulse measurement) and then coasts down. But when "walking activity" is used on a treadmill it starts out OK but then drops to around 100 for about 15 to 20 minutes, and then suddenly seems to jump and sync with my actual rate of 130 or so as shown by chest strap on treadmill and/or actual pulse. It seems that it is actually being "held" at around 100 for 15 or 20 minutes.

When cross country skiiing using "other activity" it just seems to stay around 100 all the time when in reality a pulse check shows 120 or 130 (I am elderly and that is my target). It is very frustrating as the inaccurate low heart rate is useless for helping me pace myself at a safe heart rate. I can guess much more accurately than the watch displays.

Is the displayed heart rate somehow adjusted based on the activity. The folks who review these devices seem to get more accurate results. They are younger and work at a higher level and often seem to be in the bicycling mode.
  • The built-in optical sensor reading cannot be adjusted in any way. What you are seeing is the result of optical HR being an imperfect technology for intensive workouts. It works for some people, but gives bad results for many. There is plenty of discussion on it on this forum. Anyway, what you can try to do to improve things is:
    1. Try wearing the watch higher up on your wrist (consult the manual for proper placement).
    2. Make the strap really tight.
    3. Make sure the underside of the watch (where the sensor is) is scratch free and clean.
  • I was using mine for heart rate monitoring (ANT+) feeding into my bike computer last summer. Sometimes it would work perfectly, sometimes the first 10-15 minutes were wildly low. Occasionally I had periods of total dropout. In the end I found this unsatisfactory and bought a chest strap which I've found totally reliable and there's no going back (in my opinion) for cycling. I find the Vivosport pretty good for 24/7 heart monitoring, but less useful for sport - although it's nice to be able to track walks and rides if you want/need to.
  • Thanks. I've tried everything. Location, tightness, cleaning, shaving wrists. During fast walking my HR often seems to get "stuck" at around 100 for 15 minutes or more when it is really 120 -140 or so, except when I climb up stairs when it goes crazy high. Sometimes it will jump eventually to a realistic rate eventually. I am 72 and so my target is 120 -130 or so according to my cardiologist. I don't have a huge range to exercise in and it doesn't take to much to get to 140 or even 150. So on the treadmill I use a chest strap. The Vivosport has been great at encouraging me to get my steps in, but the HR thing drives me nuts. It is really useless when I walk outdoors. Another reason I got it was to do some hiking because I know how fast a bit of climbing uphill can jack up my HR. It was useless for that too.

    I am kind of in the Garmin Ecosystem so I decided to order a Vivoactive 3. If the optical heart rate doesn't work any better, I can get a chest strap. I expect I will need to.
  • I can get a chest strap. I expect I will need to.

    Correct. If you really want to measure heart rate during 'active' activities, your best option is a strap. As an aside, and I am not a medical doctor, just an exercise physiologist. How did your cardiologist determine your target heart rate? Have you undergone a cardiac stress test? Have you had heart problems?
  • I had some arrhythmia events that were obvious and some tachycardia (SVT) n that were discovered through monitoring. My guess is the SVT has existed for some time and just wasn't noticeable. Yes, they did a bunch of radio imaging, X rays, an echo, and a stress test. They said the plumbing looked OK and the electrical was not a big worry except as it relates to quality of life, and of course there were "options" like drugs. They really don't know the cause. I felt good that they plumbing at least was good and that I had my first comprehensive "heart physical".

    The test with EKG on the treadmill was stopped at 159 bpm. I wasn't in any distress. I think the 120 - 130 bpm was the answer to my "what is exercise target" is just based on the age calculation of maximum x .85. I sometimes go up to 145 or 150 with the strap on the treadmill indoors but like to keep this as an upper limit.
  • I think for safety, you should use a strap if you don't mind using them. I know some would suggest that there are optical sensors that get close to the performance of a strap, but that's not the same thing as being as accurate and reliable as a strap worn properly. Make sure you follow the care instructions on the strap. If you're not fussed about running dynamics, you can try and source the soft strap monitor with the detachable sensor module. The strap is a cheaper replacement part when it wears as opposed to having to replace the complete unit for the one-piece straps.
  • Thanks. I purchased a VA3 so I could have access to a chest strap. The wrist heartrate seems much more accurate than the Vivosport. While it still overshoots and undershoots it tends to lock onto steady activity a lot quicker. It may be that the VA3 tends to fit better, or that its three sensors are better than the two in the Vivosport. But I did get the the original HRM chest strap for the VA3 and was inexpensive, is perfectly comfortable and I think very accurate, and I use it when I do an activity. The VA3 is my preferred device now, but I plan to use the Vivosport when I am working around the house or in the garden as it less likely to get damaged I think.
  • Then it's a bug - i tried toda on XC Skiing, showed 120bpm, used the Trail Running and it was normal. Same watch, same physical activity but XC show at least 25% lower pulse. Any ideas?

  • Your wrist works differently depending on the sport you're doing making it easier or harder for the HR sensor to get a proper reading.