Polar HRM fitness test

[MScreen]

I have a Polar Heart rate monitor that has a fitness test option on it that "estimates" VO2 max. Has anybody done this fitness/VO2 max test on the HRM aswell as having a cycling lab test to find VO2 max? Were the results comparable? If not how far was the Polar HRM fitness test different by?
Any reply would be read with interest.
Cheers

 

[toa]

This link might be of interest to you:

http://support.polar.fi/PKBSupport.nsf/ALLDOCS/42256C2B001E0F6A422569BA0042261F?OpenDocument

 

[MScreen]

Great! - thanks for that toa.
So basically I think polar say that their Fitness/VO2 test is within 15% accurate when compared to a lab test.
I would still be interested to hear from anyone who has had both a lab VO2 max test as well as completing the Polar HRM fitness test.
Cheers

 

[GEG]

Hi there!

Yes, I have been using the Polar "OwnIndex" function over the last 18 months, and did a lab test recently. Picked up the results today:

Lab test result: 43.2ml/kg VO2.
Last Polar OwnIndex: 44

I think that small variations are to be expected, due to environment and personal conditions.

Anyway, this kind of precision definitely seems very very good!

Hope that helps...