ACCURACY OF FIVE HEART RATE MONITORS DURING EXERCISE.

Abstract

Measuring heart rate is a valuable assessment of intensity of exercise. There are numerous heart rate monitors available commercially and to the public through the retail market. PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of five different heart rate monitors (TAN, POL, MIO, CAT, and HRI) during aerobic exercise. METHODS: Heart rate (HR) was measured during rest and at three different intensities of exercise on a stationary cycle ergometer in forty-two subjects (23 females and 19 males). Four HR values were recorded for each subject with each HR monitor resulting in 168 HR measurements for each monitor. HR measured using each of the five different brands of HR monitors was compared to HR simultaneously measured using an ECG. RESULTS: Data were analyzed using SAS Proc Mixed to appropriately account for both within and between subject variability. Analysis of the data revealed that only the CAT HR monitor significantly underestimated ECG HR by 1.04 bpm (t = 2.69, p < .004). The bias of the other four methods, TAN (0.28 bpm), POL (−0.04 bpm), MIO (0.35 bpm), and HRI (−0.11 bpm) were not significant. The number of failed measurements of the 168 attempted HR measurements varied between HR monitors (TAN = 4, POL = 0, MIO 15, CAT = 0, HRI = 6). CONCLUSION: Although the results of this study show that the CAT HR monitor underestimated exercise HR by 1 bpm, it is of no practical significance. All five HR monitors accurately measured resting and exercise HR. Choice of HR monitor may depend on feasibility of use, cost, and convenience.