TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining the Accuracy of the Polar A360 Monitor
AU - Rider, Brian C.
AU - Conger, Scott A.
AU - Ditzenberger, Grace L.
AU - Besteman, Summer S.
AU - Bouret, Claire M.
AU - Coughlin, Adam M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
ª 2019 National Strength and Conditioning Association
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Polar A360 heart rate (HR) monitor during periods of rest, walking/running, and active/passive recovery from exercise. Thirty collegiate athletes (women n = 15 and men n = 15) wore an A360 monitor and a previously validated chest HR monitor (Polar RS400) that served as the criterion measurement across a range of resting and walking/running intensities. First, subjects rested in a supine, seated, and standing position. Next, each subject walked on a treadmill at 1.6 kilometers per hour (kph). Speed was increased by 1.6 kph every 2 minutes until volitional fatigue. Then, subjects walked at 4.8 kph followed by a seated recovery stage. Heart rate was recorded in 30-second increments. Total mean difference in HR readings, percent accuracy, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis established the level of agreement between devices. Bland-Altman plots and a regression were used to examine the agreement between devices. The A360 demonstrated a strong correlation with the RS400 ( r 2 = 0.98) across time points. The analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated an overall significant difference ( p < 0.001) between devices. The A360 significantly underestimated HR during the 6.4-kph speed only ( p < 0.05) (effect size 0.26). The greatest percent accuracy occurred during rest (91%) and recovery (90%). An ICC of 0.98 ( SEM : 0.35) demonstrates a strong level of agreement between devices. The A360 is accurate at rest and during various walking and running speeds and thus is a device that can be used with confidence by athletes for specific training purposes. Future research should examine accuracy during weight training and other sport-specific activities.
AB - The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Polar A360 heart rate (HR) monitor during periods of rest, walking/running, and active/passive recovery from exercise. Thirty collegiate athletes (women n = 15 and men n = 15) wore an A360 monitor and a previously validated chest HR monitor (Polar RS400) that served as the criterion measurement across a range of resting and walking/running intensities. First, subjects rested in a supine, seated, and standing position. Next, each subject walked on a treadmill at 1.6 kilometers per hour (kph). Speed was increased by 1.6 kph every 2 minutes until volitional fatigue. Then, subjects walked at 4.8 kph followed by a seated recovery stage. Heart rate was recorded in 30-second increments. Total mean difference in HR readings, percent accuracy, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis established the level of agreement between devices. Bland-Altman plots and a regression were used to examine the agreement between devices. The A360 demonstrated a strong correlation with the RS400 ( r 2 = 0.98) across time points. The analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated an overall significant difference ( p < 0.001) between devices. The A360 significantly underestimated HR during the 6.4-kph speed only ( p < 0.05) (effect size 0.26). The greatest percent accuracy occurred during rest (91%) and recovery (90%). An ICC of 0.98 ( SEM : 0.35) demonstrates a strong level of agreement between devices. The A360 is accurate at rest and during various walking and running speeds and thus is a device that can be used with confidence by athletes for specific training purposes. Future research should examine accuracy during weight training and other sport-specific activities.
KW - Heart rate
KW - Photoplethysmography
KW - Watch
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85112687326&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/kinesiology_facpubs/190
U2 - 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003136
DO - 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003136
M3 - Article
C2 - 34398076
SN - 1064-8011
VL - 35
SP - 2165
EP - 2169
JO - Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
JF - Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
IS - 8
ER -