I’ve used Garmin watches for the past decade, sometimes
with Garmin or Polar heart rate straps. However, I often get very inaccurate
readings from the straps. For example, early in a run, the strap might
show my heart rate at 180 bpm or higher, but when I check my pulse
manually, it’s actually between 100 and 110 bpm. At other times, my real
heart rate is 130 bpm, but the watch shows only 48 bpm. These errors
can last for several minutes.
Today, my heart rate reading dropped from over 130 bpm
to 73 bpm and stayed low for more than four minutes, even though my
manual check confirmed my heart rate was still above 130 bpm. The strap
was snug, my skin was moist, and the connection seemed good each time.
These ongoing inaccuracies must be affecting important metrics like VO2 max and exercise intensity.
Does anyone know what could be causing this, or how I can get more consistent and accurate heart rate readings?
