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Comparison of heart rate variability assessment during exercise from polar RS800 and ECG

Abstract:

There are several mobile and easy to use heart rate monitors which which allow heart rate variability (HRV) analysis during exercise, but there is a need to validate them during exercise of high intensities. A previous study revealed that mean heart rate and low frequency (LF) power measurements were interchangeable between Polar RS800 and ECG, but instantaneous high frequency (HF) power presented low agreement (A) during high intensities of exercise (A<0.7). In this study we want to analyze if, even with that disagreement in HF power, the same conclusions can be extracted regarding the response of ANS to exercise from Polar HRV measurements compared to those extracted from ECG. 23 male volunteers performed an exercise stress test on a cycle ergometer while wearing a Polar RS800 device and ECG being recorded simultaneously. A time-frequency spectral analysis was performed to extract the instantaneous mean heart rate and LF and HF powers, the latter guided by respiration. Spectral components related to cardiolocomotor coupling (CC) were identified and corrected when overlapping with other components. Oxygen consumption information was used to establish 4 different intervals of different exercise intensity. No significant differences between ECG and Polar HRV measurements were found in any interval. Both showed an increase in normalized LF power in low intensities and a significant decrease in medium to high intensities of exercise, with an opposite behaviour in the case of normalized HF. CC components reached about 20% of the total power in the last intervals, with no significant differences between ECG and Polar.