Polar Fitness Test?

ltsop

Does anyone know how accurate the Polar Fitness Test is? I've measured my max HR by using the 'sit on a trainer, increasing workload every couple of minutes until you think you can't do any more, then sprint' methodology. My max HR recorded was 190, which they say should be close to you actual maximum. The other night I tried the fitness test on my S410 for the first time. The results I got were max HR = 196 and OwnIndex = 62. Funnily enough I happen to be 24, meaning that according to Polar, my max HR fits the 220 - age formula. Is this purely coincidence? Has anyone compared the Polar test to actual lab testing?

Eldron

My max heart rate using the incremental ride to death method was 189, with the Polar Test it was 190 - I'm 29 so theoretically it is 191....I'm guessing my max is somewhere between 189 and 191!<br /><br />I reckon anything within 5 or 6 beats/minute is accurate enough.<br /><br />

mnetherc79

From my understanding the OwnIndex is supposed to be a measure of your aerobic capacity, ie max VO2, is that correct? <br /><br />If so, is there anyone on the forum who has completed a VO2 test, and then done the OwnIndex on their Polar to see how comparable the two tests are?

admin

[quote author=mnetherc79 link=board=19;threadid=2520;start=0#21663 date=1034822668]<br />From my understanding the OwnIndex is supposed to be a measure of your aerobic capacity, ie max VO2, is that correct? <br /><br />If so, is there anyone on the forum who has completed a VO2 test, and then done the OwnIndex on their Polar to see how comparable the two tests are?<br />[/quote]<br /><br />I havent done both.....but i recall reading that its within 2-3% of your actually vo2max.<br />My ownIndex was 74 the when i tested it the other day......i have doubts about this figure as a measure of my vo2max tho<br /><br />cheers!

2LAP

If thats your VO2 max Steve you must be one very fit lad! VO2 max tests measure O2 uptake directly so are very accurate at measuring aerobic capacity. Anything based on heart rate is less reliable because heart rate changes with temprature, hydration status, fatigue, etc. Its difficult to control all of these factors. It would be interesting to find out from polar how close the clinical trials have placed these two measures?<br /><br />Anyone from polar in here?

__________________
www.cyclingforums.com

ltsop

I just emailed Dr. Ed through Polar's web site, asking how closely OwnIndex correlates to max VO2. I'll let you know when (if?) I get an answer ('please allow a week for replies...')<br />

ltsop

The answer (not from Dr. Ed - I found this on the Korean Polar web site )<br /><br />&amp;quot;Correlation coefficient between the laboratory measured VO2max and the artificial neural network prediction was 0.97 and the mean error in the VO2max prediction was 6.5%. The measured maximal aerobic power values in the data varied between 1-6 l/min (25-60 ml/min/kg). In 95% of the cases in the teaching data and in 60 % of the cases in the validation data, the error in the VO2max prediction was less than 0.5 l/min. &amp;quot;<br /><br />If you want to read the whole thing, check out http://www.polarkorea.co.kr/resech/...DEVELOPMENT.htm<br /><br />If you're really interested in how to measure your VO2 max, check out http://www.aerobictest.com/index.htm - they have a great device so that you can check how much your fitness has decreased after your workout? ??? ??? What kind of training program are they on???

2LAP

Good stats, but does that mean it could be +/- 6.5% or 0.5L/min out.<br /><br />That means Steve could have a VO2max of 79 or just 69!

__________________
www.cyclingforums.com

OrangePeel76

I took the Polar Fitness Test a few days ago. <br /><br />I took a labratory test with a score of VO2 max being 55 (I'm a female btw)<br />I took the Polar Fitness Test under *unideal* conditions as indicated by the manual and got scores from 53-57. So the VO2 part seems to be pretty accurate.<br /><br />However - I've done my own Max HR test - Max HR being 210.<br />The Polar Fit Test shows it being 196-200 which is way off. I can get my HR above 200 during any serious interval.<br /><br />Just my .02<br /><br />OP

admin

[quote author=2LAP link=board=19;threadid=2520;start=0#21674 date=1034874192]<br />If thats your VO2 max Steve you must be one very fit lad! [/quote]<br /><br />ummmm no, not really.......give me 2 or 3 months, will be interesting how that changes when i lose my last 7-8kg (i've lost about 20 so far.....amazing how fat you get when you step off the bike for a couple of years )

ltsop

Tell me about it. And to make matters worse, I was living in England for those two years! Anyone ever heard of the 'Heathrow Injection' ?

ltsop

The reply I received from Dr. Ed is:<br /><br />&amp;quot;Work conducted at a major university in Finland and the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX, show it to be within 8 percent.&amp;quot;<br /><br />(In answer to: How closely does OwnIndex correlate to VO2max?)

2LAP

[quote author=ltsop link=board=19;threadid=2520;start=0#21873 date=1035422570]<br />Anyone ever heard of the 'Heathrow Injection' ?<br />[/quote]<br /><br />Nope, does it make you go faster up hill as well as down hill. ;D<br /><br />I always loose weight when I stop riding as my appitite just goes away for good! :P<br /><br />Sorry, but who is Dr. Ed? Wasn't there a Mr. Ed on TV?

__________________
www.cyclingforums.com

ltsop

Dr. Ed is the guy from the Polar web site - they have a 'Ask Dr. Ed all your questions' section.<br /><br />The Heathrow Injection is the common term for the amount of weight that antipodeans seem to instantly gain when stepping off the plane at Heathrow Generally as a result of drinking s**tloads of beer and eating curries