What the hell is wrong with my Watch?

[MoodyM]

First of all, what I'm about to describe has only started happening this week. From release day till then, activities and workouts were working perfectly.

Also note my Watch is at v1.0.1 and I wear it on the 2nd last hole of the Sport band, which is plenty tight - although for the soccer game mentioned below, I put it on the last hole so it was really snug, just to see if that helped.

So, on Thursday 4th June, I went for a run from 12:13 to 12:43. I set the Workout on Watch to "Outdoor Run", as usual, Open Goal, and off we went. Usually on such a run my heart rate would reach around 120-130bpm.

I did 3.6 miles, 29 mins, 376 activity calories, 8 mins per mile, according to Workout app. All good, seems normal. Except my Average Heart rate shows as 202bpm!! See screenshot:

Now I'm assuming I'd be dead if it really was averaging 202. So I checked the Health app on iPhone, here's a screenshot of the heart rate data from the time period of the run:

As you can see, it hasn't recorded (or at least synced) a heart rate at all for the run, apart from the last minute (12:42, remember the run was 12:13 to 12:43). It has my heart rate at over 200 for the last few minutes of the run!

So last night, Fri 5th June, I play soccer, outdoors, from about 8pm till 9pm, as usual for a Friday. As usual, I start an Other activity in Workout app.

The Workout app records it fine, 574 active calories, 49 mins. Except it just has a dash for average heart rate, no figure:

Flick back to the Activity app, and whilst the workout is logged is logged as a 574 calorie Other workout, the Steps and Distance have not logged (Steps would normally be closer to 10,000 after a 50 minute soccer game and distance would be much more than 1.97 miles):

Also, no Exercise minutes have been logged for it:

And the Movie calories and progress wheels are also not updated:

What on Earth is going on here???? My main reason for spending £339 on an Apple Watch is for fitness tracking!

 

[MoodyM]

I also assume Friday's data is now lost, since we're into Saturday and I can't seem to get the Activity app on the phone to update with Friday's data

 

[Newtons Apple]

Wow. How do you feel? To go from over 200 down to 37 is quite amazing!

All kidding aside my watch did the same thing. The HR sensor is working well and I found to be pretty well useless so I went back to my Surge for my excercise and bad to my mechanical watch for a daily driver. I will try the next version of the Apple watch as I am not so sure if this one is ready for prime time.

I am sure that Apple will greatly improve the performance with some software updates and those users will see improvement over the long term.

 

[MoodyM]

Yeah but when spending anything from £299 to £13000 on a Watch, we should expect it to work as advertised, no?

 

[Newtons Apple]

Yeah but when spending anything from £299 to £13000 on a Watch, we should expect it to work as advertised, no?

Yes, you should expect it to work but Apple has a few bugs to work out. Just like any new hardware there are a few things that Apple can do with the software to get things to work better. There are several monster threads in this forum discussing the HR sensor, it is you that have to decide if you are willing to wait for a fix.

I think Apple made certain compromises to conserve battery life. From what it looks like and I have read, the AW will not record your HR if you arm is moving unless you have it in the excercise mode. Even then the readings are sometimes crazy no matter how I wore my watch.

Seek out the other threads for way more information.

 

[MoodyM]

I just checked, and it seems, 14 hours later, that Friday's data has finally synced to the Activity app on the phone - calories, heart rate, Move wheel, all ok now.

Doesn't solve what happened on Thursday's run though

 

[xraydoc]

I just checked, and it seems, 14 hours later, that Friday's data has finally synced to the Activity app on the phone - calories, heart rate, Move wheel, all ok now.

Doesn't solve what happened on Thursday's run though

I'm more inclined to believe the 202 BPM reading during a workout than 37 as a resting rate unless you are incredibly, incredibly fit.

Are you certain that 202 is wrong? Do you have another source that contradicts the watch. If not, while the watch may be wrong, it nonetheless may be prudent to see a doctor. People can develop all sorts of odd tachycardia while strenuously exercising.

 

[Julien]

Very simple ands I had the

I'm more inclined to believe the 202 BPM reading during a workout than 37 as a resting rate unless you are incredibly, incredibly fit.

Are you certain that 202 is wrong? Do you have another source that contradicts the watch. If not, while the watch may be wrong, it nonetheless may be prudent to see a doctor. People can develop all sorts of odd tachycardia while strenuously exercising.

No person on earth could manage an average HR of 202BPM for 30 minutes.

 

[greytmom]

Do you have it too tight or too loose? Your resting rate is pretty damn low, so I'm wondering if improper fit is contributing to your issue.

 

[srshaw]

Wearing an external bluetooth heart rate strap will provide accurate heart readings (I use a polar), but obviously this doesn't change the fact that the watch should provide accurate readings itself.

 

[Julien]

I can say that mine and 2 friends Watches are dead on accurate for HR readings. Wearing the strap correctly is the key. You must have the strap snug and move up the wrist a ½" or more. I have well over 30 hours of cardio and over 20 hours weight training on my Watch so far. Also just finished a 9.5 mile run and my run my Garmin 620 had my average HR as 149 and my Watch at 150.

I am obsessive checking both and they are almost always within 4 bpm apart.

 

[macduke]

Very simple ands I had the


No person on earth could manage an average HR of 202BPM for 30 minutes.

Here is a person on earth who usually does that. In freshman year at university I had to take physical education. In the lab we had to do exercises. I was in reasonably good shape at the time, especially compared to now lol. So were doing a bunch of cardio and we kept taking our heart readings and I was consistently around 200bpm. The lab assistant was concerned so I called the doctor and ordered an echocardiogram. I go in and they shave my chest, slap on some goop and wire me up and I do a stress test. Heart came back with no problems—said I was quite healthy. They said that it's rare but some people just have a really high heart rate. I'm pretty sure I peaked between 210-220. Might explain why I'm pretty decent at sprinting despite never training for it. They said I have a big strong heart. In college one time I raced my friend 100yds who was a captain and middie (the guys who run the most) on the lacrosse team and I think he was the second fastest guy on the team. He barely beat me and I had never even raced anyone legit on a track before. Kinda made me wish I had trained to sprint instead of playing so many video games. Oh well!

 

[Julien]

Here is a person on earth who usually does that. In freshman year at university I had to take physical education. In the lab we had to do exercises. I was in reasonably good shape at the time, especially compared to now lol. So were doing a bunch of cardio and we kept taking our heart readings and I was consistently around 200bpm. The lab assistant was concerned so I called the doctor and ordered an echocardiogram. I go in and they shave my chest, slap on some goop and wire me up and I do a stress test. Heart came back with no problems—said I was quite healthy. They said that it's rare but some people just have a really high heart rate. I'm pretty sure I peaked between 210-220. Might explain why I'm pretty decent at sprinting despite never training for it. They said I have a big strong heart. In college one time I raced my friend 100yds who was a captain and middie (the guys who run the most) on the lacrosse team and I think he was the second fastest guy on the team. He barely beat me and I had never even raced anyone legit on a track before. Kinda made me wish I had trained to sprint instead of playing so many video games. Oh well!

While I'm not question your integrity but would love to see some proof that you can go for 30 minutes with an average HR above 200 (not just maximal). What HR recording device do you use? Can you please post a workout of 30 minutes (or more) duration with an average HR of over 200BPM?

While I don't doubt you can obtain a HR of over 200 and maintain for some time (like anaerobic sprinting), 30 minutes is an extremely long time to maintain an average that high. There is just no way to physically tolerate anaerobic (lactic acid build up) activity for that long of a time period.

 

[andrewstirling]

Yeah but when spending anything from £299 to £13000 on a Watch, we should expect it to work as advertised, no?

A fair bit more was spent on Mohsni and he didn't work as advertised either...

 

[kevroc]

What on Earth is going on here???? My main reason for spending £339 on an Apple Watch is for fitness tracking!

I had it happen where Avg HR and the Activity wasn't displaying, but then when I checked it the next day it was there. Almost as if Apple had to do some back-end processing on it to crunch the numbers before the watch/activity was updated.

I have also had errant HR readings like that as well. That's the best you are going to get with an Optical wrist sensor at this point. People's expectations of the AW for activity tracking are WAY overdone.

 

[susan12369]

Mine has been wonky lately as well, rarely recording exercise, not recording steps as accurately, and HR is of course incredibly wonky since the update. I spoke with a support rep day before yesterday and he was going to communicate with the engineers, he said it sounds like a software problem. And I specify problem - I know Apple has come out with the different HR information, but they are still claiming that the watch measures all activity. "Apple Watch measures all the ways you move, such as walking the dog, taking the stairs, or playing with your kids. It even keeps track of when you stand up, and encourages you to keep moving. Because it all counts. And it all adds up."

Supposedly I will hear back from the rep on Tuesday, so we'll see what he says...

 

[susan12369]

People's expectations of the AW for activity tracking are WAY overdone.

I expect it to work the way it did the first few weeks, where it accurately tracked my steps and activity.

 

[MoodyM]

I'm more inclined to believe the 202 BPM reading during a workout than 37 as a resting rate unless you are incredibly, incredibly fit.

Are you certain that 202 is wrong? Do you have another source that contradicts the watch. If not, while the watch may be wrong, it nonetheless may be prudent to see a doctor. People can develop all sorts of odd tachycardia while strenuously exercising.

Yes, I'm certain 200 is wrong for me when jogging at 8 mins per mile for 30 mins.

I run at least 10Km or play soccer, 6 or 7 nights per week, and I'm 5ft 9in and weigh 154 pounds with single-digit body fat %, so yes, I'm fit.

 

[anez]

I'm more inclined to believe the 202 BPM reading during a workout than 37 as a resting rate unless you are incredibly, incredibly fit.

My average resting rate is between 45 and 55, and I don't think I would describe myself as super fit. I walk a lot and do (moderate) work outs daily, but I'm sure my overall fitness level is only slightly above average.

The lowest resting rate I had registered on the AW was 39, until one day I took a nap with it on and it recorded my HR as 35 a few times over the hour or two I was asleep. Like the guy with the college sprinting story above, you will get natural outliers whose data sits towards the edges of what's expected.

That said, if these readings are unusual (my HR readings are fairly consistent day to day and tally with BP/HR readings I've had taken in other places over the years) for one or two workouts for the OP, it does seem like something may be faulty within the Watch.

 

[Julien]

Yes, I'm certain 200 is wrong for me when jogging at 8 mins per mile for 30 mins....

As a fellow runner I must point out that you are running and NOT jogging.

And as I stated an over 200BPM average for 30 minutes is not physically possible anyway.

Are you sure you have your Watch snug and moved up you wrist a little? I have been continuously wearing HR strap watches for almost 15 years and was very skeptical the Watch's optical could be accurate. I have been completely surprised at how dead on accurate the Watch HR monitor is on every type of run and cardio session I throw at it. Won't replace my Garmin but I'm very satisfied with the results.

 

[penajmz]

I would restart both the watch and the phone and see how it goes. After the update my AW and iPhone haven't been communicating as they did before. Information lags to sync immediately and my watch won't unlock when I unlock my phone after a way longer time than before.

I can't wait for another update.

 

[MoodyM]

As a fellow runner I must point out that you are running and NOT jogging.

And as I stated an over 200BPM average for 30 minutes is not physically possible anyway.

Are you sure you have your Watch snug and moved up you wrist a little? I have been continuously wearing HR strap watches for almost 15 years and was very skeptical the Watch's optical could be accurate. I have been completely surprised at how dead on accurate the Watch HR monitor is on every type of run and cardio session I throw at it. Won't replace my Garmin but I'm very satisfied with the results.

Yes, it's snug the point of being too tight for normal use, but I put it that tight just for workouts. I too am impressed with the accuracy of it generally, it's just those last few days. In fact, since the Friday sync eventually happened 14 hours later, it's only that 12:13-12:43 run on Thursday that seems to have gone awry.

 

[xraydoc]

Yes, I'm certain 200 is wrong for me when jogging at 8 mins per mile for 30 mins.

I run at least 10Km or play soccer, 6 or 7 nights per week, and I'm 5ft 9in and weigh 154 pounds with single-digit body fat %, so yes, I'm fit.

Sustained 200 BPM for 30 minutes, no, is not really possible. But spikes of 200+ are. And if you're not strenuously exercising at the time, and if we've ruled out a malfunctioning sensor, then I would consult a doctor. That's all I was saying.