Can you trust data from wrist-based heart-rate sensors?
CYCLING WEEKLY|February 23, 2023
Watch-type heart-rate monitors are getting better all the time but they are far from perfect
Tom Epton 
Can you trust data from wrist-based heart-rate sensors?

Once the preserve of runners, GPS watches have become popular with cyclo-cross riders, mountain bikers, triathletes and now road cyclists. The latest generation not only do the job of a head unit but are fitness trackers and more.

Among the many upgrades that have appeared since the Casio PRT-1GP (the first GPS-enabled watch) is the optical heart-rate sensor, which is designed to eliminate the need for a chest strap.

But many athletes and coaches have found some of the data from these sensors to be less than accurate. Manufacturers have been working on sensor quality but can the data be really trusted?

How sensors work

According to a paper which investigated sources of inaccuracy in wearable technology, “Heart-rate measurements from wearables are derived from photoplethysmography (PPG), an optical method for measuring changes in blood volume under the skin.”

Put simply, when your heart beats, blood moves around the body in pulses. These pulses mean that blood volume at various points in your body changes a little with each beat. Heart-rate can be deduced from measuring the time between these changes. Chest straps work differently: they detect electrical signals from your heart and tend to be more accurate.

The science

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 23, 2023 من CYCLING WEEKLY.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 23, 2023 من CYCLING WEEKLY.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من CYCLING WEEKLY مشاهدة الكل
UK SCENE WILSON WINS AT CLAYTON SPRING CLASSIC HANDICAP
Cycling Weekly

UK SCENE WILSON WINS AT CLAYTON SPRING CLASSIC HANDICAP

Junior rider Atkins wins North Road CC 25

time-read
1 min  |
February 27, 2025
"I'm Geraint Thomas," he said politely."And I'm a bike rider"
Cycling Weekly

"I'm Geraint Thomas," he said politely."And I'm a bike rider"

The Doc salutes the Welshman's staying power and charm

time-read
3 mins  |
February 27, 2025
AN EXPERT'S TAKE ON...STRENGTH TRAINING
Cycling Weekly

AN EXPERT'S TAKE ON...STRENGTH TRAINING

The need-to-know essentials for cyclists lifting weights - Rob Kemp asks an expert

time-read
2 mins  |
February 27, 2025
NOURISH TO FLOURISH
Cycling Weekly

NOURISH TO FLOURISH

The nutrition you need to age-proof your performance

time-read
8 mins  |
February 27, 2025
THE WORLD'S FASTEST DESCENDER
Cycling Weekly

THE WORLD'S FASTEST DESCENDER

DOWNHILL MAESTRO SAFA BRIAN TELLS MARIA DAVID HOW HE MASTERED THE ART OF DESCENDING TO BECOME FASTER THAN EVERYONE EXCEPT, PERHAPS, TOM PIDCOCK

time-read
6 mins  |
February 27, 2025
VISION METRON SL 60
Cycling Weekly

VISION METRON SL 60

Super-stiff, responsive race wheels that hold their line when the wind whips up

time-read
2 mins  |
February 27, 2025
RIDDEN AND REVIEWED GIANT TCR ADVANCED O £3,699
Cycling Weekly

RIDDEN AND REVIEWED GIANT TCR ADVANCED O £3,699

Lively all-rounder that offers pro bike pedigree without the premium price tag

time-read
4 mins  |
February 27, 2025
Six days of Paris
Cycling Weekly

Six days of Paris

This is one of those images that makes you feel almost as though you're there in it, soaking up an atmosphere heavy with embrocation and cigarette smoke, those hanging lamps creating a ghostly glow across the arena.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 27, 2025
Alberto Dainese's BMC Teammachine R
Cycling Weekly

Alberto Dainese's BMC Teammachine R

We take a close look at the Italian sprinter's Tudor Pro Cycling team bike

time-read
1 min  |
February 27, 2025
Pogačar has fun in the desert
Cycling Weekly

Pogačar has fun in the desert

World champion wins UAE Tour overall, with some chaos on the way

time-read
3 mins  |
February 27, 2025