Accuracy of Polar MHR prediction?

[KakenBetaal]

Anyone here have any idea of how accurate the Polar MHR calculation is? I think it's fairly accurate for me, but I'd love to know your opinions. (HRMax-P on the watch).

I'm fairly fit from my other endurance sport, and am averaging 100 mile weeks now plus almost as much again training in the other sport.

 

[daviddobedoe]

Anyone here have any idea of how accurate the Polar MHR calculation is? I think it's fairly accurate for me, but I'd love to know your opinions. (HRMax-P on the watch).

I have just bought a new polar HRM and did the test, it predicted 2 beats short of what I have seen on my old monitor that I have had for the past ten years. No clinical testing raceing my mates up hill. In fact it is only 1 beat short of what I have seen in recent times.

How's about the rest of you?

 

[N_laplaca]

My S210 calculates mine at 183. The 220-age theory puts me at 186 it's 3 short of that. I think it's close. I have a hill that I use to guage my performance. On an all out effort when I reach the top I'm anywhere from 173-180. Some days I can just push myself harder than others I guess.

I would love to know what it truly is.Isn't there some type of clinical test to determine the true max?

 

[gntlmn]

Anyone here have any idea of how accurate the Polar MHR calculation is? I think it's fairly accurate for me, but I'd love to know your opinions. (HRMax-P on the watch).

I'm fairly fit from my other endurance sport, and am averaging 100 mile weeks now plus almost as much again training in the other sport.

I'm just curious. I have an old Polar Accurex which doesn't have this max hr feature. Do you enter any data which it uses to help calculate this max? Or do you just put the thing on, and let it compute everything based on it's readings of your heartrate and how it varies? I wonder, if the latter is the case, if the max HR varies from week to week. Does it occasionally give you a different max HR?

 

[N_laplaca]

I'm just curious. I have an old Polar Accurex which doesn't have this max hr feature. Do you enter any data which it uses to help calculate this max? Or do you just put the thing on, and let it compute everything based on it's readings of your heartrate and how it varies? I wonder, if the latter is the case, if the max HR varies from week to week. Does it occasionally give you a different max HR?

Yes you enter your age,weight,height and activiy level(low,med,high,top). And then it performs a fitness test.During the test It monitors your resting heart rate over a a few minute period and takes all the user data and calculates max hr and also a Vo2 max.

When you run the test you can update the two values in the user data. I would think it is more accurate than 220-age. Nick

 

[gntlmn]

Yes you enter your age,weight,height and activiy level(low,med,high,top). And then it performs a fitness test.During the test It monitors your resting heart rate over a a few minute period and takes all the user data and calculates max hr and also a Vo2 max.

When you run the test you can update the two values in the user data. I would think it is more accurate than 220-age. Nick

Hmm. I guess if you know your resting heart rate, you can theoretically compute all the other information without the heart monitor. Apparently, it has some kind of empirical formula in it. I was thinking it would feedback with your varying heartrate as you ride. But I guess it doesn't do that.

I wonder how accurate that VO2max is. If this did a feedback test with a power meter versus heartrate, it seems like it would be even more accurate. But maybe it's already pretty accurate.

It must be a lot more accurate than 220 minus your age.

 

[upstateSC-rider]

I just got a S725 and checked my hrmax and it predicted 175. If I use 220-minus my old age it should be 182 so I thought it was bit off. The ownindex (predicted Vo2) showed me as being at 41. Guess I'll miss next year's TdF.


Lou.

 

[gooders]

I just got a S725 and checked my hrmax and it predicted 175. If I use 220-minus my old age it should be 182 so I thought it was bit off. The ownindex (predicted Vo2) showed me as being at 41. Guess I'll miss next year's TdF.


Lou.

I use a Polar 720i, my predicted HR MAX is 186. I had a VO2 max test and got to 190 on the bike...however, I've got to 192 doing a max test using a local hill. I'm 35 and should have HR MAX 220-age = 185.... Most people I know who have undertaken a HR MAX test have been higher than 220-age. I think the only way to be sure is to do a test....but it's not much fun

 

[rek]

It's accurate to within 2 or 3 beats for me. (This is on an S710)

I'm 23 and my MHR as worked out using a hill is 190bpm (though in the past 6 months the highest I've ever been able to get it has been 189), the Polar predicts it at 186-187.

Fun fact: the Polar fitness test doesn't just work out your resting heart rate, it tracks the variability of your heart rate from one beat to the next.

 

[KakenBetaal]

Interesting stuff! My predicted max is 188, and it dropped from 191 as I've been getting fitter. I think it's fairly accurate since I've never been able to go above it. My ownindex is 70, I've no idea if this is accurate since I've never done a real test.

 

[Doctor Morbius]

Interesting stuff! My predicted max is 188, and it dropped from 191 as I've been getting fitter. I think it's fairly accurate since I've never been able to go above it. My ownindex is 70, I've no idea if this is accurate since I've never done a real test.

There is research that shows that as you become fitter your MaxHR will actually decrease, so perhaps you are fitter now than when you previously measured your MaxHR.

On the other hand ... when you are fitter you are able to push yourself harder before blowing up, or giving up as the case may be. Last summer I was only able to get a MaxHR reading of 186 BPM. This summer I've seen as high as 191 BPM before I turned to jello, even though I'm better conditioned.

On Polar's web site they show the 220 - Age formula ( http://www.polarusa.com/consumer/fitness/hrm.asp ). At 44 that would put my MaxHR at 176 BPM so I don't have much faith in the accuracy of these predictions. A LAB workup is the only way to be certain of VO2 Max. Besides, it's not a very useful metric to guage one's training anyway.

 

[so19]

Anyone here have any idea of how accurate the Polar MHR calculation is? I think it's fairly accurate for me, but I'd love to know your opinions. (HRMax-P on the watch).

I'm fairly fit from my other endurance sport, and am averaging 100 mile weeks now plus almost as much again training in the other sport.

I've got a Polar S410, it underestimated my max HR by at least 6-7 beats (although I did the fitness text while I was sick with a viral infection, so that may have had an effect)