Q: Apple Watch Heart Rate sensor not giving proper readings during intense exercises like P90x3 and Insanity

NothingLasts1987 wrote:

 

.. based on how I was able to accomplish this, I'd like to look into pitching my idea to Apple or a 3rd party. Anyone know how I'd do this?

If you would like to submit feedback to Apple, you can do so here:

https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch.html

Before doing so, read Apple’s Unsolicited Idea Submission Policy:

http://www.apple.com/legal/intellectual-property/policies/ideas.html

Thank you for the information. I have reviewed the policy and submitted proper feedback.

You're welcome.

Now I'm getting curious. I've tried anything that I could think of and nothing did the trick. I even bought a third party heart rate monitor. It works perfectly now but I hate that I had to spend another 40 Euro to get something working that should have worked right out of the box. If Apple doesn't respond please make sure you ge your idea to the community somehow because it still is a big frustration. Apple seriously dropped the ball on this one. Apparently multi million test facilities couldn't expose this issue we found at our first training sessions. Or were conveniently overseen.

These screenshots were taken after this morning's workout (I'm sorry if they show up excessively large). Prior to implementing my idea, I hardly ever saw my Apple Watch register 140+ bpm unless I stopped moving. Since I've started using my idea, the highest heart rate I have logged on my phone from my watch is 180 bpm. I'm not sure how widespread this issue is but since surveys have shown that a good portion of Apple Watch user's are using it as a fitness companion, I'm hoping Apple will listen to my idea or at least come up with a better one on their own.

That's my personal theory as well-- when my heartrate exceeds 150 or so, it seems to divide it by 2.

So what's your idea? Surely you're aware that if Apple picks up on it you don't get a dime, so why not share it with the community?

my question is not about tracking a planned intense exercise response but rather a tool in tracking an unexpected medical event.

Am very curious as to what the limitations of the Apple Watch heart rate sensor are. I understand that the Apple Watch is not a medical device but it can be a useful tool in understanding a medical condition. My husband was recently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) and hospitalized. He had been wearing an Apple Watch since June & we downloaded the heart rate data using QSAccess for review. It appears that occasionally the high rates (140-170) were captured but not reliably. We also recently purchased an AliveCor iPhone case which can take ECGs it also varies from the Apple Watch reading. Readings from a finger pulse-oximeter also often do not agree with the Apple Watch.

Any clues as to what the reading parameters are?

I experience the same issue where my heart rate is usually half of what it should be while working out (sometimes even when at rest). This leads me to believe Apple will be able to fix the issue via a software update. I've tried having the band both loose and tight, doesn't seem to matter.  I live in Austin, TX - maybe I'll grt invited to help them debug at their campus

I recently read an article regarding a suit being brought against Fitbit related to inaccuracy of the heart rate monitor during exercise. While I think the suit is garbage, I noticed in the article that they mentioned the Fitbit registering a HR about 1/2 of the actual HR during intense exercise (i.e. registering 82bpm when actual was above 160). That was interesting to me because of some poster's thoughts in here. I'm not saying I think it's as simple as the Apple Watch dividing the actual HR in half but more often than not the HR reading is closer to half than it is to actual. Again, this is during intense, non-rhythmic movement exercise only. 

I have the same problem. Most of my exercises I get my heart rate very high and find once it's above 120 or so it starts to only track every other beat.

Same here. That's a typical distribution while intense training. And 56 is way below my resting heart rate.

my apple watch , marked the perfect heartbeat , then 15 days and become inaccurate . Also seated using the application cardio looks, marks me 40 beats while I have 70 more when the display turns off if you call with a touch the brightness drops alone . TRY TO MEASURE WITH CARDIO TO LOOK AND THEN LET OFF THE DISPLAY AND THEN recall it WITH A TOUCH AND SEE THE DISPLAY AND ICONS LESS BRIGHT . I contacted Apple Care and replaced me watch , arrived yesterday , configured , same identical defects . And that Apple can not do so with its customers . I'm not satisfied with Apple Watch . Try it yourself if using the application cardio looks and then once turned off the display and then on low brightness and more .

Thank away . Diego Italy

<Edited by Host>

I have had the same problem, I doubt it can be solved with a software upgrade as some have suggested. Your heart rate. What it means, and where on Apple Watch you’ll find it. - Apple Support their support article says that the Watch uses photoplethysmography, meaning it uses light to read the movement in your arteries. I have found that my watch will very accurately record my heart rate during these low level activities, or crucially ones outside when it's cold and I'm not perspiring. As soon as I start to work up a sweat, the watch loses the ability to record the heart rate, I'm assuming because the light is being refracted by the sweat, and is no longer readable by the watch. An incredibly frustrating problem for something that is marketed as a 'sporting' product, when really it struggles with anything beyond a brisk walk.

I have the same problem.... The heart rate sensor is useless for weight lifting, spinning, and kickboxing. What type of activity is left to do? The watch is tight (bought a S/M band to make sure it's tight) and the watch doesn't move very much.

What's frustrating is I had the Microsoft Band and tried the Band 2. Both devices gave me superb heart rate data for all these activities (see blue colored graphs; 648 cal = kickboxing and 289 cal = weightlifting (see the sets)). The green-ish charts (third party app) show the AW data... Which jumps all over the place. I spot checked both devices with a manual heart beat count. The Bands were dead on as far as I could tell... AW doesn't even get close.

Sadly, I think I will be returning the AW shortly (really wanted to like it) because the exercise function has been a huge let down.