Polar H10 ECG tracing - a short how to guide

Question: Why bother with looking at ECG tracings?

Answers (click on each to expand): 

Differentiate noise from cardiac arrhythmia

Optimize signal for most precise heart rate variability measurements

Getting a more accurate DFA a1 measurement

Recognize early signs of atrial fibrillation

Distinguish atrial from ventricular arrhythmia

Using Kubios Premium for ECG derived respiratory rate

Exercise intensity thresholds using ECG derived respiratory rate 

 

Multiple previous posts in this blog have examined the Movesense Medical module and HR plus in terms of single lead ECG devices.  At a relatively moderate cost, they are able to provide accurate HRV and rhythm analysis using the premium version of Kubios software.  However, what if you just had a Polar H10 and wanted to see what your ECG rhythm looked like - could you do it? 

Here is what the output looks like on an S21:

Pretty cool!

Requirements: Polar H10, spreadsheet program like Excel (for a long session), Polar Sensor Logger App for android

Shortcomings: Kubios free will not process the data, sample rate is only 130 Hz - probably adequate for DFA a1 precision, but not ideal.

Instructions:

• Install the Polar Sensor app, wear the H10 HRM
• Open the app, choose your device, pick ECG as the output type, hit start.

 

• To see the above graph, scroll to the right under graphs and it should show.  
• When you press "stop" you can save the file to your storage to view in Excel.
• Locate the file and open it with a spreadsheet program.
  
• Just plot time x voltage:

How does it look in Kubios (premium):

• An APC is easily spotted in this strip of mine
• Seems reasonable for rhythm - APC, VPC, etc
  

And the waveform:

• Not great.

Is it Kubios' fault? No.  Here is a view in the android app, magnified:

 

 

• You can only get so much resolution out of this low sample rate.

 For a similar app designed for the iPhone, please see this

 

Comments:

• Yes, we can get a rhythm strip from a Polar H10 with just an android/iOS app.
• Detecting severe arrhythmia's should not be too difficult for those familiar with reading these tracings.
• To get either HRV or aberrant beat detection, you still need Kubios premium.
  
• For those who think they are having abnormal beats and don't have a medical background, YMMV.
  

Heart rate variability during dynamic exercise

• Firstbeat VO2 estimation - valid or voodoo? 
• Heart rate variability during exercise - threshold testing
• Exercise in the heat and VO2 max estimation
• DFA alpha1, HRV complexity and polarized training 
• HRV artifact avoidance vs correction, getting it right the first time 
• VT1 correlation to HRV indexes - revisited 
• DFA a1 and Zone 1 limits - the effect of Kubios artifact correction 
• HRV artifact effects on DFA a1 using alternate software  
• A just published article on DFA a1 and Zone 1 demarcation 
• DFA a1 vs intensity metrics via ramp vs constant power intervals 
• DFA a1 decline with intensity, effect of elevated skin temperature 
• Fractal Correlation Properties of Heart Rate Variability (DFA a1): A New Biomarker for Intensity Distribution in Endurance Exercise 
• Movesense Medical ECG V2.0 Firmware brief review 
• Movesense Medical ECG - improving the waveform and HRV accuracy 
• DFA a1 and the aerobic threshold, video conference presentation  
• DFA a1 - running ramp and sample rate observations with the Movesense ECG 
• DFA a1 calculation - Kubios vs Python mini validation
• Frontiers in Physiology - Validation of DFA a1 as a marker of VT1 
• Real time Aerobic thresholds and polarized training with HRV Logger   
• Active Recovery with HRV Logger 
• DFA a1 and exercise intensity FAQ 
• DFA a1 agreement using Polar H10, ECG, HRV logger  
• DFA a1 post HIT, and as marker of fatigue 
• DFA a1 stability over longer exercise times 
• DFA a1, Sample rates and Device quirks 
• DFA a1 and the HRVT2 - VT2/LT2  
• Low DFA a1 while running - a possible fix? 
• Runalyze vs Kubios DFA a1 agreement
• Respiratory Rate metrics, ECG vs HRV, Kubios vs Garmin   
• alphaHRV respiratory rate tracking vs Garmin/Kubios
• A new paradigm for Intensity thresholds - combining surrogate markers