Why Are Optical Heart Rate Monitors So Inaccurate? Sports Science with Dr Will | Episode 13

Optical heart rate measurement uses photoplethysmography (PPG) to measure tissue changes at the sensor’s location caused by blood circulating throughout the body. As your heart beats, less light returns to the optical sensor, whereas low volume increases the amount of returning light.

The accuracy of optical heart rate monitors varies in terms of activity patterns or speed, exercise intensities, skin tone, room temperature, placement of sensors, or compression-induced and motion-induced artifacts.

00:00 Intro
00:33 How Wrist Based Heart Rate Monitors Work
02:18 How oxygen saturation is measured
03:35 Movement error
05:32 Light error
07:55 Potential fixes
09:00 Other issues
10:13 The Answer. HR Straps
11:35 HR strap issues
13:16 Summary

LINKS
• Podcast: https://link.drwillo.com/poddy
• Strava: https://link.drwillo.com/Strava
• YouTube: https://link.drwillo.com/youtube
• Instagram: https://link.drwillo.com/instagram
• Facebook: https://link.drwillo.com/facebook

• Performance Advantage podcast with me & Dr Matt Miller: https://www.performanceadvantagepodcast.com

• Getting coaching with Dr Will: https://www.drwilloconnor.com

#sportscience #running #garmin