Last Updated on April 8, 2022 by pg@petergamma.org
Newer Garmin watches
(e.g. Garmin Venu) can now measure respiration rate from wrist based optical sensors and newer Garmin HR chest straps (e.g. Garmin Fenix 6).
9.2.22
When I count the number of breath in a minute manually and compare the data to the data on the Fenix 6, the values on the Fenix 6 are around half of the values than the counted values. What is wrong? Is it the Polar H10? Garmin says, a HRM-Tri-, HRM-Run-, HRM-Pro- oder HRM-Dual- chest stap is required for Respiration rate. I currently only have a Polar H10 available. But do these chest straps not use standard protocols? Peter H. Charlton says, for respiratory rate calculation from ECG devices, the distance between two R peaks is required. Firstbeat says, they use heart rate variability information. But is this not the same? Is the R-R peak information or heart rate variablity information not also in the Polar H10?
9.2.22
No, it is not the Polar H10. I had the same deviation with a Venu wrist based respiratory rate, and a Taidacent respiratory rate belt with the HappySleep app. First I doubted about myself, but then I doubted about the devices. Fifty percent deviation from a manual count at a first test? For whom is this acceptable?
9.2.22
I had a serious crisis and went trough different youtube videos, checked the definitions, respiratory rate, breath rate, single breath, full breath, I could not find a problem there. I am really sceptical about the accuracy of Firstbeat products. When you for example compare the recovery time when you wear two different devices at the same time, there are big differences. The same with stress. Wearing two different devices at the same time, there are huge differences in stress values. The work of Peter H. Charlton is really of high quality, I think he did his PhD. about respiratory rate, and he was at one of the best universities in UK, and still is working for high quality institutions. There is a whole respiratory rate estimation project going on. From Firstbeat, I first want to see accuracy data before I trust these products.
21.3.22
Inacceptable Respiration Rate inaccuracy of Garmin Fenix 6 with Garmin Dual chest strap
24.3.22
It is also possible to pair a Polar OH1 to a Fenix 6, and it shows heart rate and respiration rate from the Polar OH1. I did not test the accuracy, but I am sceptical. It shows however, that it is technically possible to get the respiration rate from the Polar OH1.
More satisfying than a Garmin watch is a device which you have control over. Peter H. Charlton told me, that it should be possible to run the Matlab Toolbox for Respiratory Rate also in real-time. Probably nobody wants to take responsibilty for a real-time code to this date. But I invite you to try it yourself.
I should be possible to run the Matlab toolbox for respiratory rate on Octave, for instance on a Linux PinePhone. Then, you have a mobile device which you can control, and you can develop yourself.
4.4.22
When I practice breath meditation, and the manually counted breath rate is around 12 breath per minute, a Fenix 6 paired to a Polar OH1 shows also about 12 breath per minute. 12 breath per minute is the lowest value in the scale which is described as normal breath in the scientific literature:
5.4.22
When practicing Samatha meditation without an object, the Fenix 6 paired to a Polar OH1, which is not officially supported by Garmin, but works, shows higher values than a wrist based Garmin Venu watch. The Venu shows unbelievably low values.
8.4.22
When I practice Samatha meditation and I am watching and counting the number of breath per minute, and my mind becomes calm, and my heart rate and my breath rate reaches the lowest values which are described as «normal» in the scientific literature, which is 60 heartbeats per minute and 12 breath per minute, a Garmin Fenix 6 connected to a Polar OH1 as well as a Garmin Venu watch running the «Yoga» protocol, both show values which are close to earch other and both show values around these numbers, and the number of breath counted manually are close to the number shown by the Garmin watches. Therefore, these two watches can be used as a «biofeedback» device to reach these «target values». But according to my own little personal experience, both watches cannot be used to measure accurate physiologial values. I could not find any scientific validation studies of these two devices for breath rate.
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