Suunto 7 - Heart rate

How are heart rate readings for you? I am having 20-30 lower heart rate on average with Suunto 7 compared to my previous measurements with Polar HR chest strap - for strength training. Today I got the normal readings for the first time, but for indoor cycling.

I tighten it a bit more for exercise compared to normal use.

isazi

Strength training holding something, like weights?

@isazi Yes, for the most part.

Brad_Olwin

@Metalmi For weightlifting this could be an issue due to wrist movements. For most everything else it works very well and matches my belt readings nearly exactly.

@Brad_Olwin I wouldn’t say that wrist movement is that big to justify it (I would understand it during some Tabata or circular training with lots of quick movements). It’s incorrect by a lot, even during breaks I mostly get reading like 80-90 (while it should be 120-130). I would expect it to be at least a bit more precise.

Brad_Olwin

@Metalmi Here is a run with the S7 on one arm and S9 with smart sensor belt on the other arm. You can judge for yourself. Tempo Intervals this morning.
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@Brad_Olwin I see, thanks! Do you maybe have any suggestions to improve the readings during weightlifting and other potentially problematic exercises?

Brad_Olwin

@Metalmi No, I do a lot of Pilates and some plyometrics and have not had any issues, agrees with my belt when I use it.

isazi

@Metalmi wrist heart rate measurements are not great in general when holding something tight.

Maryn

@Brad_Olwin nice
What is your opinion for S7 OHR if the outside temperature is around 0-10 degrees?

Brad_Olwin

@Maryn said in Suunto 7 - Heart rate:

@Brad_Olwin nice
What is your opinion for S7 OHR if the outside temperature is around 0-10 degrees?

I’ve done a lot of cold runs last winter and ski mountaineering with the S7, the OHR can be a little less precise but overall great. I would not wear a belt. Obviously, I had to wear the watch against my skin where sometimes I cannot see it.

Maryn

@Brad_Olwin thanks!

kripar

@brad_olwin I have a different problems while weight lifting. A common occurrence is that the heart rate goes DOWN on my suunto when in reality it’s actually going up. So I get the opposite of a peak. Seems like a software issue where the extra beats on a quickened heart rate are interpreted as noise.

Marco G

I use the watch a few times a week in the gym and it looks good, I can’t make a comparison with a proper belt but the readings always made sense to me. Altho I noticed a few things:

in order to get good reading while gripping heavy stuff the watch needs to be really nice and tight and kept approx 5cm away from the wrist ( bit of a weir position, as mentioned in the instruction)
the HR reading on the wrist can be delayed in time according to the exercise. For example, If I train the arms or upper body, the reading is basically instantaneous, if do a heavy deadlift or legs, the peak comes a bit later the end of the reps when I feel that the hr is actually going down, not up. I probably has something to do with what muscles activation and the positioning of the reading.

@marco-g said in Suunto 7 - Heart rate:

I use the watch a few times a week in the gym and it looks good, I can’t make a comparison with a proper belt but the readings always made sense to me. Altho I noticed a few things:

in order to get good reading while gripping heavy stuff the watch needs to be really nice and tight and kept approx 5cm away from the wrist

How do you keep it there? As soon as I start sweating, it goes down to the wrist

Marco G

@metalmi
I personally don’t sweat much and it stays in position, but yes it does slide sometimes. A good trade-off for me is to keep the strap edge at 2 cm from the middle of the bone bump in the wrist.
You can also do a position-check by doing a full wrist movement from down to up. If you don’t move/lift the strap and/or touch the middle button you’re good to go. If you do one of the two the position isn’t good.
This is how I usually do it.

Nshkira

@kripar
Same situation occurs with swimming. Swimming with breast stroke gives a stable and accurate HR. Crawl and butterfly stroke makes the HR go down, so usually at the end of 100m crawl screen shows me 70 pulse instead of 150-160. And only after a minute or so HR starts to go up.
I prefer to swim with breast stroke now to control ny HR zones))