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Heart rate monitor inaccurate for around first 5 -10 mins of run since last software updates

AlexGil
11 months ago

I've had a FR255 for the past few months, its been working great and although I don't have a chest HRM to validate the OHRM on the watch it has seemed about right...until a few weeks ago and one of the recent software updates, around the version 18.25 update I think.

The issue is that the HR appears to be too low (around 120 bpm) for around the first 2-10 mins of a run and then spuriously jumps to my usual HR for running pace (around 145-150 bpm). The sudden 'lock on' to the correct HR can be seen clearly in the HR charts. The first one shows running the same route before the issue started and the 2nd shows HR since the issue has started. The route run is exactly the same. Although I don't have a chest HRM to verify this it feels too low,....the first 400m of so of the run are up quite a steep hill and I'm blowing by the 2 min mark and a HR of ~ 120 seems way too low. I also don't think the issue is related to cadence lock as my usual cadence is around 170

I have tried the following steps to try and resolve the issue but none have worked:

  • restarting the watch,
  • switching HRM off, restarting watch, switching HR back on
  • wearing watch on opposite wrist
  • cleaning OHR sensor 

I have logged with Garmin support who said they are aware that this is 'a case' but are unable to give any advice to resolve the issue or any timeframe when it might be corrected. 

Anyone one else having similar issues?

  • 0 11 months ago

    There have been a lot of reports with quite similar observations lately. Personally I don't see it, because I usually have a quite long warm up.
    Seems like something changed in the heart beat algorithm for the running application.

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to ovekvam
    ovekvam said:
    a quite long warm up

    Yesterday I was on a walk in the mountains with my friends. A little over 3 hours. After two hours of climbing uphill there was a fairly long flat section. We walked leisurely, talked, enjoyed the weather and views. By chance, I noticed my pulse - it was 10 beats higher than my max HR. It felt like my heart rate was 110-120, the watch showed 195, dropping slightly to 170 and returning above 190. My maximum heart rate is 180 and it’s quite hard to touch it. And here - a calm walk, a casual conversation and a pulse of 190. And I would count the first two hours as a warm-up :) So I would insist that Garmin's sensor today is very bad.

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to RDW

    Since the most recent 18.27 update I hard restarted the watch and went for a run today and the HR seemed to be logging correctly from the start. This could just be a one off but am hoping its been fixed. I also heard of someone else trying the same and resolving their issue. I will try again and report back

  • 0 11 months ago

    Having same issue after installing 19.09 and 19.12 on running activities using a chest strap as I always do. HR seems to be lower then usual and a bit off with some gaps and flat lines specially.in the first 5-10 min. Thought it could be something wrong with the strap but changed batteries and strap and problem persists

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to global_local

    I tried to see if I could make the heart rate issue happen today by setting off on an easy run with no warmup. The optical heart rate sensor performed flawlessly, but something else happened. After months with estimated 5K race time of 30-31 minutes, the watch suddenly estimated 23-24 minutes (which I can easily do) after this run.

    www.strava.com/.../overview

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to ovekvam

    Just installed 19.13 and disabled auto switch HR. Hope this fix th readings from my chest strap. In my case my VO2 max been dropping since problem started going from 56 to 54 in last few weeks. Auto Threshold and Max HR detection seems to be a bit off too since this started. Hopefully now back to using only External HR the problem is solved