HEART RATE MEASUREMENT VIA WRIST-BASED PPG WHEN COMPARED TO POLAR 10 CHEST-BASED ECG DURING A TREADMILL VO2MAX TEST

Authors

Monica M. Ryan, University of South CarolinaFollow
Jacob J. Becker, University of South CarolinaFollow
Alexa J. Chandler, University of South CarolinaFollow
Gianna F. Mastrofini, University of South CarolinaFollow
Ryan E. Albino, University of South CarolinaFollow
Blaine S. Lints, University of South CarolinaFollow
Bridget A. McFadden, University of South CarolinaFollow
Bret Trahan, University of South CarolinaFollow
R. Glenn Weaver, University of South CarolinaFollow
Shawn M. Arent FACSM, University of South CarolinaFollow

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Accurate heart rate (HR) measurements during physical activity are critical to infer clinical indications (i.e, tachycardia, cardiovascular health, etc), and are used to measure physical exertion within healthy, athletic populations. Traditional ECGs, the gold standard for HR monitoring, are difficult to use outside of a laboratory setting, while wrist-based watches using (photoplethysmography) PPG sensing are commercially available and increasing in popularity. The purpose of this study is to examine the agreement of heart rate measurement via PPG sensors compared to ECG during a VO2max test. METHODS: Participants (N=20, 10 female/10 male, aged 18-35) completed a treadmill graded exercise test using the Bruce Protocol (VO2max =46.36 ± 5.74 ml/kg/min). Participants wore an Apple Watch Series 8, Polar Grit X watch, and a Polar H10 Chest Strap for the entire duration of this visit. The brand of watch on each wrist was counterbalanced for every participant. The average heart rate from each device during the graded exercise test was calculated and agreement between both wrist-based PPG devices and the chest-based ECG were analyzed via intraclass correlation (ICC) with a 95% confidence intervals (CI). An alpha level of 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance. RESULTS: The Apple Watch Series 8 and the Polar H10 chest strap demonstrated strong agreement with an ICC of 0.95 (95% CI=0.88-0.98). This correlation was statistically significant (P=<0.0001). The Polar Grit X showed poor agreement compared to the Polar H10 with an ICC of 0.27 (95% CI =-0.20-0.56; P=0.13). CONCLUSION: During a graded exercise test, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a comparable heart rate monitor to the Polar H10 chest strap, indicated by the significantly strong ICC. However, the Polar Grit X watch did not demonstrate the same agreement, despite using the same PPG technology. This suggests not all wrist-worn PPG devices are created equal and consumers should take then into account when selecting a fitness or activity monitor. Future studies are necessary to determine the reliability of PPG sensing from other commercially available devices, as well as the reliability of PPG during maximal effort exercise.

Recommended Citation

Ryan, Monica M.; Becker, Jacob J.; Chandler, Alexa J.; Mastrofini, Gianna F.; Albino, Ryan E.; Lints, Blaine S.; McFadden, Bridget A.; Trahan, Bret; Weaver, R. Glenn; and Arent, Shawn M. FACSM (2024) "HEART RATE MEASUREMENT VIA WRIST-BASED PPG WHEN COMPARED TO POLAR 10 CHEST-BASED ECG DURING A TREADMILL VO2MAX TEST," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 16: Iss. 3, Article 310.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol16/iss3/310