Which physiological sensor devices can meditators choose who want to study their heart rate variablity?

Last Updated on December 9, 2023 by pg@petergamma.org

Altough we are reviewing devices to study the effect of practicing meditation on physiological parameters since several years we currently do not have any devices which deliver us phyisiological parameter which are scientifially validated in our home lab.

We have also studied Marco Altini’s HRV4Training app which can be used with a Polar H7 chest strap as well as with a camera of a smartphone:

Marco Altini, HRV4Training developer & scientist mainly working at the intersection between health, technology & performance

We do not use Marco Altini’s HRV4Training but meditators who are interested in the effect of practicing meditation on their heart rate variablity can use Marco Altini’s HRV4Training app with a Polar H7 chest strap or a smartphone app. But we did not check if this is supported and works.

Meditators can alternatively use OpenBCI 3 channel ECG devices which have been scientifically validited as well for heart rate variability:

Researchers from the University of Calgary found that a 3-lead ECG device based on the OpenBCI Cyton board can be used for HRV measurements instead of an industry-standard 3 lead ECG device from Adinstruments and costs only about 4%

We suppose OpenBCI 3 channel ECG devices are more accurate than HRV4Training with the Polar H7 chest strap or the smartphone camera app to measure heart rate variabity. But we haven’t studies this topic in detail and aren’t experts in this field as Marco Altini, PhD. is.