Heart rate inconsistencies

[graeme4130]

Hi All
I've had my apple watch for a week or so now, and I've found that when using the running or cycling app, that it doesn't always pick up my heart rate and if it does, it's sometimes very inconsistent (i.e. hard excursion, but HR showing as 80)
I don't have any tattoos (as I know this can throw it a bit) and I'm a fairly normal coloured white guy
It will generally start off ok, but within a few mins, it'll either show as "measuring' with no reading, or it'll just be very low
I'm quite a fit guy and train a lot, so I'm well aware of my heart rate zones, so know that it's reading inaccurately
Anyone else have this problem, and is there a fix ?

 

[Julien]

...and is there a fix ?

Tighten up to snug and move ½" up your wrist. Doing this will get you externally accurate results.

 

[SR22pilot]

My watch is much less consistent after the 1.0.1 update.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Mine would go from 120+ to 40-50 over and over no matter how I wore it.

 

[acctman]

I was working out lifting weight and doing crunches... covered in sweat and breathing heavy, yet my lovely $400+ AW said my heart rate was 48... and I was using the Workout app.

 

[Betsy30]

I was working out lifting weight and doing crunches... covered in sweat and breathing heavy, yet my lovely $400+ AW said my heart rate was 48... and I was using the Workout app.

Interesting. I was lifting weights yesterday, breathing hard and covered with sweat and my HR was registering around 110-120 the entire time. I was not using the Workout app (a mistake as it seems) but had the same results last weekend when I was using the app.

Skipped crunches, though.

 

[acctman]

Interesting. I was lifting weights yesterday, breathing hard and covered with sweat and my HR was registering around 110-120 the entire time. I was not using the Workout app (a mistake as it seems) but had the same results last weekend when I was using the app.
Skipped crunches, though.

I do notice some weird readings ... this was from my workout. Maybe sweat, air temperature on my wrist from the room fan... my over all avg working heart was around 98, it should of been higher. I would like for it to be more accurate and double check huge rate drops and account for that as a possible read errors.



p.s. don't skip on the crunches lol, we all hate them.

 

[dandrewk]

I was working out lifting weight and doing crunches... covered in sweat and breathing heavy, yet my lovely $400+ AW said my heart rate was 48... and I was using the Workout app.

I think this same "issue" comes up in about 25% of every thread regarding fitness. The mods need to make a "sticky" so it doesn't keep coming up.

It's not an "issue" at all. It's physiology. When you lift weights, that weight is usually on your palms or fingers. Thus, the blood flow through that part of the body is constricted. As it's the same part of the body that the watch uses to measure heart rate, naturally those numbers will be off.

When I lift, there are several routines where I know the HR will be off, usually by 50%, as if it can only "see" half of the beats due to reduced blood flow. Looking at your table, you can do the same math. After I'm done with that weight, it usually takes 30 seconds or so before it reads accurate again.

This is the same "issue" with ALL HRM's that measure via the wrist. I don't know if there will ever be a solution. Perhaps if Apple develops a proper "weight lifting" activity, they can program it to recognize certain patterns and adjust the numbers. It's pretty obvious a heart rate shouldn't suddenly drop 50%.

 

[acctman]

I think this same "issue" comes up in about 25% of every thread regarding fitness. The mods need to make a "sticky" so it doesn't keep coming up.

It's not an "issue" at all. It's physiology. When you lift weights, that weight is usually on your palms or fingers. Thus, the blood flow through that part of the body is constricted. As it's the same part of the body that the watch uses to measure heart rate, naturally those numbers will be off.

When I lift, there are several routines where I know the HR will be off, usually by 50%, as if it can only "see" half of the beats due to reduced blood flow. Looking at your table, you can do the same math. After I'm done with that weight, it usually takes 30 seconds or so before it reads accurate again.

This is the same "issue" with ALL HRM's that measure via the wrist. I don't know if there will ever be a solution. Perhaps if Apple develops a proper "weight lifting" activity, they can program it to recognize certain patterns and adjust the numbers. It's pretty obvious a heart rate shouldn't suddenly drop 50%.

I do know about this does not account for running, situps, and other activity which do not require gripping. This started right after update 1.01. This wasn't an issue until after the update, i've had my watch since 4/24

 

[Julien]

Yesterday 6.5 mile easy outdoor run and My Garmin 620/Watch HR averages:

148HR/HR148

Today Stair Stepper (15 minute warm up)

113HR/114HR

Today Elliptical (15 minute)

125HR/124HR

Today Stationary (upright) Bike (20 minutes)

137HR/136HR

Have been using concurrently with my Garmin 620 since May 25 and the Watch is unbelievable and shockingly accurate (except when weight training).

 

[dandrewk]

I do know about this does not account for running, situps, and other activity which do not require gripping. This started right after update 1.01. This wasn't an issue until after the update, i've had my watch since 4/24

If that's the case, why did you bring up your "inconsistencies" while weight lifting?

For most others, and indeed every fitness magazine/website review, the HRM has proved accurate. I, personally, have had no issues with it, before or after the update.

 

[acctman]

If that's the case, why did you bring up your "inconsistencies" while weight lifting?

For most others, and indeed every fitness magazine/website review, the HRM has proved accurate. I, personally, have had no issues with it, before or after the update.

because that was the last time I noticed it. I did mention I was doing sit-ups as well. the times I took/watched for readings I did have anything in my hands. Ever since the update Workout app has crashed a few times, and the stuck on measuring... happens a lot. Hopefully Apple will start sending Watch OS updates to developers (beta) first before release. With 1.01 probably not enough developers had the watch to be able to give valid testing results.