A Preliminary Investigation about the Influence of WIMU PROTM Location on Heart Rate Accuracy: A Comparative Study in Cycle Ergometer

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 24; no. 3; p. 988
• Main Authors: Marzano-Felisatti, Joaquín Martín, De Lucca, Leonardo, Guzmán Luján, José Francisco, Priego-Quesada, Jose Ignacio, Pino-Ortega, José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 03.02.2024
• Subjects: Accuracy; Athletes; Bias; Bicycling; Exercise; Heart rate; internal load; Laboratories; Physical fitness; precision; sensor; Sensors; Software; sports performance; Statistical analysis; technology; Warm up (exercise); wearables; United States > US; Spain
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s24030988

Technological development has boosted the use of multi-sensor devices to monitor athletes’ performance, but the location and connectivity between devices have been shown to affect data reliability. This preliminary study aimed to determine whether the placement of a multi-sensor device (WIMU PROTM) could affect the heart rate signal reception (GARMINTM chest strap) and, therefore, data accuracy. Thirty-two physical education students (20 men and 12 women) performed 20 min of exercise in a cycle ergometer based on the warm-up of the Function Threshold Power 20 test in laboratory conditions, carrying two WIMU PROTM devices (Back: inter-scapula; Bicycle: bicycle’s handlebar—20 cm from the chest) and two GARMINTM chest straps. A one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping test found full agreement between the two situations (inter-scapula vs. bicycle’s handlebar). Excellent intra-class correlation values were obtained during the warm-up (ICC = 0.99, [1.00–1.00], p < 0.001), the time trial test (ICC = 0.99, [1.00–1.00], p < 0.001) and the cool-down (ICC = 0.99, [1.00–1.00], p < 0.001). The Bland–Altman plots confirmed the total agreement with a bias value of 0.00 ± 0.1 bpm. The interscapular back placement of the WIMU PROTM device does not affect heart rate measurement accuracy with a GARMINTM chest strap during cycling exercise in laboratory conditions.