Key result
Optical fitness watches match ECG chest belts for running heart rate with ~1.5% error.
Why the study?
Wearable devices for heart rate estimation are extensively explored, but performance comparison between optical wristbands and single-lead ECG devices during outdoor running stages needed evaluation.
Does a fitness watch with an optical sensor provide comparable heart rate estimation to a single-lead ECG chest belt during outdoor running?
Observational
Does a fitness watch with an optical sensor provide comparable heart rate estimation to a single-lead ECG chest belt during outdoor running?
Effect estimate: MAPE 1.5%, MAE 3 bpm
Optical-based fitness watches show good agreement with single-lead ECG chest belts for heart rate monitoring during active running, but are less accurate during warm-up phases.
Optical HR monitoring may suffice during running; hypothesis-generating, needs prospective ECG validation before practice change.
Monitoring physiological variables, especially heart rate (HR), is beneficial during physical activities due to its responsiveness to exertion and fatigue levels. Research has extensively explored wearable devices for HR estimation, particularly wearable ECG devices and optical-based wristbands.This pilot study compares the HR values estimated by two differently designed wearable systems (i.e., a fitness watch with an optical sensor and a single-lead ECG chest belt) during an outdoor running session. The session consisted of various stages, including warm-up, active running, and recovery.Our findings reveal good agreement among HR data collected by the two devices during the running phase, with an average Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 1.5% and a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 3 beats per minute. Higher differences among HR values collected by the two wearable devices were observed during the warm-up phase, with an average MAPE of 16.7 % ± 5.5 %, while the running phase had the lowest (1.5 % ± 0.8 %).
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Massaroni et al. (2024) conducted an observational in Outdoor running. Fitness watch with an optical sensor vs. Single-lead ECG chest belt was evaluated on Heart rate estimation agreement (MAPE 1.5%, MAE 3 bpm). A fitness watch with an optical sensor showed good agreement with a single-lead ECG chest belt for heart rate estimation during active running, with an average Mean Absolute Percentage Error of 1.5%.
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