RR interval signal quality of a heart rate monitor and an ECG Holter at rest and during exercise (part II)

Last Updated on July 8, 2022 by pg@petergamma.org

The procedure of the Swiss group which compared the accuracy of the Polar H10 to a AR12plus Holter monitor ECG is confusing and can eventually cause misunderstandings.

The group of Milind Desai compared the accuracy of consumer grade heart rate monitors to a Cardiac Science ECG device:

Accuracy of commercially available heart rate monitors in athletes: a prospective study

The Cardiac Science ECG device was used as the most accurate ECG reference device in the study. Cardiac Science ECG devices are also used for clinical applications, as far as we know.

Milind Desais group found out that:

«The Polar H7 chest strap had the greatest agreement with the ECG (rc=98). This was followed by the Apple Watch III (rc=96)»

The Swiss group from Magglingen compared the accuracy of the Polar H10 to the AR12plus Holter monitor ECG:

RR interval signal quality of a heart rate monitor and an ECG Holter at rest and during exercise

The Swiss authors found out that the:

inaccuracy of the AR12plus Holter monitor ECG is 94.6 %

whereas the

inaccuracy of the Polar H10 is 99.63 %.

The results of the Swiss study eventually can cause confusion. The percentage number in the study do not say anything about the accuracy of the devices against a high quality reference ECG device.

Rob ter Horst concludes on his Youtube channel:

«Polar H10 99.6 % correct, best heart rate»

There is no scientific basis for such a general statement. The figures in the Swiss paper only say something about the accuracy of the algorithms of the Polar H10, but they do not say anything about the accuracy of the Polar H10 against a highly accurate ECG reference device.