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How do people with arrythmia manage the problem that most bycicle heart rate monitor devices cannot measure accurately their heart rate?

Alex Par
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    Health SE might be a better fit for this question – paparazzo Apr 25 '17 at 18:50
  • What "SE" stands for? – Alex Par Apr 25 '17 at 18:53
  • "StackExchange". Regarding "non specialized devices", which kind of arrythmia, which devices and who told you it's well known? – ojs Apr 25 '17 at 18:57
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    Yeah, this isn't really a good fit for bicycles. More a medical question. Voting to close. – Batman Apr 25 '17 at 19:05
  • It is not a medical question. I am talking for a cycler with atrial firbilation, so bycle-SE is the proper site for the question. Anyone with arrythmia knows very well that a non specialized device is easily fooled trying to measure heart rate in a person with any kind of arrythmia. That person needs a heart rate monitor device, such as "sigma", "garmin edge" etc which also measures speed, time, cadence, climb etc. I cannot explain it more. – Alex Par Apr 25 '17 at 19:08
  • Its also a shopping question so not a good fit. – mattnz Apr 25 '17 at 19:48
  • I'm not aware of any sports devices that would be specialized for fibrillation. It's difficult enough to fix to a stable heartbeat with all the noise from exercise. As far as I know, Suunto, Polar and probably many other belts measure R-R intervals between individual heartbeats, but I don't know how they react to to very uneven intervals from AF. – ojs Apr 25 '17 at 19:54
  • Not sure where you live, but you may want to visit a couple of LBS to talk to the manager about return policy. If their return policy doesn't cover a worn chest-strap type monitor, pull him aside (for your privacy, if you feel that's necessary) and explain your situation, she may let you test it out to see if it works for you. I recommend a chest-strap because they're known for reacting much more quickly than wrist based, optical HR monitors. – FreeMan Apr 25 '17 at 20:05
  • on the contrary, @Paparazzi, I thought the idea was to try to edit the question to make it fit the site. (At least, that's been my experience at other SE sites.) I would venture that this could be a fit because it's specifically talking about a sports HRM, not a medical one. Of course, a medical grade device may be the only option for the OP, but a sports related stack would probably be a better source of finding out that "there's nothing that will meet your needs" (if that's the case) than a medical stack. – FreeMan Apr 25 '17 at 20:25
  • @FreeMan Cool. I don't set policy and comments are not for discussion. Deleting my comment. – paparazzo Apr 25 '17 at 20:29
  • It's all good, @Paparazzi! – FreeMan Apr 25 '17 at 20:33
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it belongs on a health-related site. – Daniel R Hicks Apr 26 '17 at 01:54
  • I disagree with the clsoe votes. It's not a health question. It's close to being a shoppinbg question. The OP would like to measure heart rate, as many of us do. Normal heart rate monitors don't work. I don't see this as any different to "I can only use one hand fro braking, what are my options" – Chris H Apr 26 '17 at 12:26

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I can't speak to the specifics of arrythmia, but I will challenge the presumption a HR monitor is needed at all. Its entirely possible to train well without gadgets. If you feel the need for a gadget, a power meter would give a majority of cyclists the same advantages, if no more, as a heart rate monitor.

At the elite level, some people now believe that power meter and speed/distance (for runners) supersede the need for heart rate monitors altogether, and many more are less extreme, believing that heart rate is still a useful tool to complement power meters, but not as important as power meters. Combining the two devices does give better results, but requires an awful lot of skill to analyze and understand the results and translate the information into better training outcomes. Much more skill than most individuals have, or want to be bothered with. This area is the domain of professional sports scientists and coaches and elite athletes where seconds over hours makes a difference.

mattnz
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