Problems
getting a reading
All heart
rate monitors work by sensing the electrical stimulation of the
heart. This stimulation is sensed by the "electrodes"
built in to the chest strap. The better the fit, the stronger
the pick up. This data is then transmitted to the watch (receiver)
using various radio frequencies.
To help get
a good clear signal from the skin, it is essential to wet the
electrodes with water before using the HRM. If this moisture dries
out before the user starts sweating, you may experience erroneous
readings half way through a session. We
recommend the use of ECG (electro - conductive - gel) with all
heart rate monitor straps if you are experiencing any unusually
high / low or erratic readings. You
can buy ECG gel from here
From our experience,
most erroneous Heart Rate readings are due to either
Lack of moisture
on electrodes (either re-wet or apply GEL)
Flat battery
in transmitter (most makes are self change, please replace or
test battery)
External
electrical interference. This is something that we cannot predict.
In some envronments there may be levels of electrical noise higher
than usually experienced in gyms, homes etc. Sometimes it might
be high voltage power lines, or a local wireless network sending
a signal that interferes with the heart rate transmission. In
these cases we can only suggest you identify the source and try
to exercise away from it. The DIGITAL heart rate monitors are
btter at avoiding electrical noise than the ANALOGUE type. To
see what transmission mrthod a unit uses, please find the heart
rate monitor from this list (all
heart monitors) and click the left hand side (dark blue text,
make and model), then refer to "CROSSTALK AVOIDANCE".
CROSSTALK
- interference from another heart rate monitor user within
1-5 metres of you, using a similar device. As with electrical
interference, try moving away from the source. Alternatively,
DIGITAL HRM's and Polar coded HRM's are better at avoiding crosstalk
than plain, uncoded analogue. To see what transmission mrthod
a unit uses, please find the heart rate monitor from this list
(all heart monitors)
and click the left hand side link (dark blue text, make and model),
then refer to "CROSSTALK AVOIDANCE".
Poor fitting
of chest transmitter ( too loose or sometimes to tight)
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Why
use a heart rate monitor?
A heart
rate monitor let's you really know what the most important
muscle in your body is doing
A heart rate monitor will let you know when you've
done that bit too much, or too little, exercise
Heart Rate can be used during exercise to monitor
when a athlete has (or has not) recovered during an interval
session
Your heart rate is one of the most useful indicators
of fitness level - how quickly you recover and also when comparing
one session against another. ie. same distance, same time, lower
average HR = improved fitness
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Do
I need to use a chest strap with my heart rate monitor?
There
are some heart rate monitors that do not have a chest strap.
These units measure the electrical stimulation of the heart
through the finger tips. You will only get an HR reading when
your fingers touch the sensors. Although highly accurate (the
models we sell measure electrical impulse, not PULSE beating
through the finger, these type are cheap and NOT accurate) it
is difficult to exercise effectively when having to check heart
ratr all the time.
A chest
strap HRM is generall more beneficial. It allows the user to
set a training zone alarm and get on with the exercise. After
the session the user can review average HR, time spent in zone,
calories burnt etc (depending on model)
With a
strapless HRM, this is not possible. In most cases, for people
undertaking moderate exercise, we would always recommend a chest
strap type.
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Heart
Rate Monitor chest straps?
All
the heart rate monitors we sell NEED a chest strap and COME
WITH a chest strap. The only "strapless" heart rate
monitors we sell can be found here, strapless
heart monitors. The advantage of CHEST STRAP type heart
monitors is that they are continuous and can be used to recall
average and maximum heart rate, plus time in zone, calories
burnt etc. They can also be used to keep the wearer in a heart
rate training zone.
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What can a heart rate monitor
tell me? ?
Most
heart rate monitors can tell you the time of day!
They
can tell you your current heart rate
They
can tell you when you are, or are not, training within your predetermined
training zone
Some
can tell you your average heart rate during your current session
Some even
tell you your current heart rate as a percentage of your upper
limit.
i.e. 82% (as opposed to 175 bpm, for example)
% of upper
limit allows you to control your warm up progressively and your
cool down progressively
Doing so
is a key factor to wise training and will help to reduce the risk
of short term and long term injury
Warming
up and cooling down are an intergral part of correct training.
Once you get in to your body's heart patterns, you
will recognise signs of illness and overtraining
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Can I use my monitor to interface
with the equipment in my gym?
The
most common transmission and reciever units use analogue, uncoded
FM transmission. Polar, CardioSport, CicloSport (CP8 and CP10),
Reebok and Oregon Scientific all work in the same way and are
generally compatible with most common gym equipment. CicloSport
CP23 / CP29 and Timex use digital transmission and wil NOT interface
with gym equipment.
If you need confirmation, please ask us on 0845 0900 192
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Do I need to use a chest
strap and do all monitors come with one?
Yes and
No ?
Yes, if you want the heart rate monitor to continuously
monitor your heart rate and keep you within a target zone. And
yes if you want the HRM to give you accurate calorific and heart
rate feedback, i.e. average HR, max HR, calories burnt etc.
No, if you just want an occassional snapshot of your
heart rate.
A chest strap is included with ALL Heart rate monitors we sell
except the MIO and Easy Touch, strapless HRM (momentaneous HR
readings only)
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Can a heart rate monitor help me
lose weight? (aid fat loss)
Yes, it
can help you lose weight (aid fat loss) when used in conjunction
with a sensible eating plan and exercise programme
The ideal training zone for weight loss (fat loss) is, approximately,
60%-70% of your maximum heart rate
Programmable Training zones help you ensure that you spend most
of your training session in the correct "zone"
A heart rate monitor accurately controls the intensity and duration
of your sessions
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Can
a heart rate monitor help me avoid injuries?
Yes, it
can. A high percentage of illness and injury is due to overtraining
A heart rate monitor will let you know when your body has recovered
properly
Following a marathon, an athlete's resting heart rate may not
settle for 3 to 4 days
The athlete may feel like they are OK to start training again,
but an HRM will tell them they should continue to rest
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Can
I swim with my heart rate monitor
Most Heart
Rate Monitors are water resistant to 20, 30, 50 or 100 metres
depending on the model. We recommend in most models that you
should not press
any buttons under water. See user's manual for details. Heart
rate measurement
in a water environment is technically demanding for the following
reasons:
Pool water
with a high chlorine (or bromine) content, as well as seawater,
may be very conductive and the electrodes of a transmitter may
get short
circuited and ECG signals cannot be detected by the transmitter
unit.
Jumping
into the water or strenuous muscle movement during competitive
swimming may cause water resistance that shifts the transmitter
on the body
to a location where it is not possible to pick up the ECG signal.
The ECG
signal strength varies depending on the individual's tissue
composition. The percentage of people who have problems in heart
rate
measuring is considerably higher in a water environment than
in other use.
In the watch
industry the water resistance is generally indicated as metres
of
water pressure, meaning a static pressure of water at the level
in question.
Most manufacturers' apply the same indication system, as it
is well known and water
resistance is an essential feature of the heart rate monitor.
However,
it should be noted that when performing any underwater activity,
the
dynamic pressure generated by movement through the water is
greater than the
static pressure. Generally, all the HRM's we sell are fine for
use while bathing,
swimming and showering, BUT, not under water activity like scuba
diving.
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How
do you calculate maximum heart rate?
A rough
guide to calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) is :-
Male 220 - age = MHR in beats per minute
Female 226 - age = MHR in beats per minute
It is important to calculate your MHR as it is used when calculating
intensity of effort. i.e 65% of MHR for 20 minutes
You should note that your current fitness level does have an
impact on your actual MHR
People new to exercising should avoid trying to reach their
theoretical MHR
The
only accurate (and safe) method of measuring MHR is through
a clinical graduated exercise test
Site owners comment: We find that the 220 - age
method of zone calculation are "OK" but generally provide "safe"
limits that may not stretch relatively fit exercisers, especially
older people, who the 220 - age formula gives very "conservative"
HR values. The book that we give out with each free HRM helps
you to set your personal HR limits, folloiwng a safe sub maximal
exercise test, and also taking in to account your resting heart
rate.
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What
are my "training zones"
Training
zones are guides to help you achieve the desired affect of your
exercise plan
A body builder trying to gain muscle mass, does not want to
follow the same programme as a long distance runner
A heart rate monitor helps you to stay in your correct zone,
with regard to your training goal
There are roughly 5 zones (depending on what you read)
These zones start at 50% of MHR, for conditioning/recovery)
and go up to 95%-100% of MHR for maximum intensity training
Someone new to heart rate monitors, but with a foundation in
exercise, would normally start a programme at about 60%-70%MHR
This is a safe "maintenance/weight" loss intensity
This would be repeated 3 or 4 times a week for 30 minutes per
session
Site owners comment: We
find that the 220 - age method of zone calculation are "OK"
but generally provide "safe" limits that may not stretch relatively
fit exercisers, especially older people, who the 220 - age formula
gives very "conservative" HR values. The book that we give out
FREE with each HRM helps you to set your personal HR limits,
following a safe sub maximal exercise test, and also taking
in to account your resting heart rate.
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Can
a heart rate monitor help me to develop my aerobic system?
Yes, your
aerobic (with oxygen, endurance events) zone is approximately
70-80% of MHR
Setting your upper and lower limits to 80 and 70 respectively
will let you know how much time you are spending in the aerobic
zone
Your heart rate monitor will help you to avoid undertraining,
exercise with no gain
Your heart rate monitor will help you to avoid overtraining,
exercising in the anaerobic zone will not improve your aerobic
performance
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Can
a heart rate monitor help me to develop my anaerobic system?
Yes, your
anaerobic (without oxygen, short, explosive power events)zone
is approximately 80-90% of MHR
Setting your upper and lower limits to 90 and 80 respectively
will let you know how much time you are spending in the anaerobioc
zone
Your heart rate monitor will help you to avoid undertraining,
exercising in the aerobic zone
Your heart rate monitor will also help you to avoid overtraining,
going beyond 90% for too long can result in fatigue
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Can
I get more help and advice?
Yes, please
use our feedback form
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READ
THIS FIRST :
Before you start....
No-one should
start an exercise programme without undertaking the necessary
health checks
All the information given on this website is intended to provide
a guideline for apparently healthy individuals
We recommend consultation with a doctor or other professional
if you believe you have any contraindications to exercise
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