Forum posts to 'Getting the most from ithlete'

Samsung YP-G70

Alavana — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:34:31 +0000

Hi,

The ithlete module I purchased works with my HTC Desire, but isn`t recognised by my Samsung Galaxy S 5.0 Wifi (Model: YP-G70)

There doesn`t appear to be an option when purchasing for Samsung devices, so how do I go about ordering another one without you sending me the same one you have already sent?

Posted to: Samsung YP-G70 Show Thread | Post Reply

Reciever not recognized

WRegester — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:26:31 +0000

Hello. So I have an android HTC sensation 4G and when I connect the reciever it says it is not recognized. Is this common for the phone or would the modified version be required. BTW. I sent and email as well.

Posted to: Reciever not recognized Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Heart rate TOO variable

moderator — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:09:47 +0000

Hi Nick
I understand you are frustrated, but we have several thousand users, including professional teams, and many people find ithlete very helpful as a training & health tool, so lets not throw the baby out with the bath water. Plenty of people get good consistency, eg http://www.myithlete.com/getting-the-most-from-ithlete/show/197#post197
A small minority of people have trouble getting stable measurements to start with, most find they get more stable as they incorporate HRV measurement into the right point in their morning routine. HRV is a sensitive measurement for sure, and will feed back small changes in one's mental and physical state. An alternative could be doing the measure last thing at night.
I created ithlete initially for myself and to try and help other people, so if it is not helping you, please contact ithlete.support@myithlete.com for a refund.
Sincerely
Simon Wegerif

Posted to: Heart rate TOO variable Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: ithelete HRM adapter compatible with other iPhone apps?

moderator — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:02:18 +0000

Hi Alex
Thanks for the post - it's a good topic for discussion. We were actually the first to introduce an adaptor for analog chest straps. Others as you know have created ANT+ adaptors to plug into the dock connector on the base of the phone. We have not tried to get lots of apps to use the ithlete adaptor, since our main focus is to bring HRV measurement out of the lab and into regular usage.
The HRM app was created for ithlete hardware owners to have a good quality HRM for use during exercise.
The next stage will be for everyone to start using Bluetooth Smart (low energy) as this becomes available on new phones during 2012

Posted to: ithelete HRM adapter compatible with other iPhone apps? Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Not working!

moderator — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:57:29 +0000

Hi Add
Sorry to hear you are having a problem getting started - we have several thousand users with iPhones, and it's usually something simple, though infrequently I have heard that the customer needed to restart their iphone.
If you contact ithlete.support@myithlete.com I'm sure we can get you going very soon.

Posted to: Not working! Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Altitude effect on HRV

moderator — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:53:34 +0000

Hi Martin
Good topic! I know there are skiing teams using ithlete, but I have not had any direct feedback that separates the effect of altitude from the training itself.
There is however a 2005 study published in the Journal of Exercise Science (J Exerc Sci Fit • Vol 3 • No 1 • 2005) that studied the impact of exposure to moderate altitude (2400m) on HRV over a 7 day period that involved ergometer rowing tests.
They found that HRV (including the specific measure used by ithlete) decreased at altitude, and remained low for the seven days duration. They concluded that HRV is a sensitive measure of the body's adaptation to altitude.

Posted to: Altitude effect on HRV Show Thread | Post Reply

Altitude effect on HRV

MartinS — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:20:47 +0000

My18 year old daughter is a full-time athlete (swimmer) and uses ithlete to help monitor her heavy training regime. During a week away cross-training (skiing), both she and I found that our HRV decreased steadily over the week. Until this year she had been racing at Alpine skiing so I am not convinced that it is merely the effect of a different sport but wondered if others had experienced a similar effect?

Posted to: Altitude effect on HRV Show Thread | Post Reply

ithelete HRM adapter compatible with other iPhone apps?

alexhk — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000

Now that there are different sensors/adapters and different apps on the market, I'd like to know if they are all following the same standard and if they are compatible to each other, or if the ithlete HRM is only working with the ithlete app?

I'd love to try some of the other apps with my ithlete adapter/dongle thing.

Thanks
Alex

Posted to: ithelete HRM adapter compatible with other iPhone apps? Show Thread | Post Reply

Not working!

Addw — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:24:38 +0000

I can't get the equipment to work, I have followed all the advice I have found on here so far and still can't get both icons to stay green long enough to get a reading. I have tried a polar belt and suunto belt which both run fine with other HRM devices(got batteries) and an iPhone 4.
The app is recognising the belts but not consistently tried the standard cleaning the port and moistening the belt, I have used HRM equipment for many years now and never had a problem before. Questioning whether a sensor that plugs into an ear port is really that effective!

Please help any other ideas???

Posted to: Not working! Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Heart rate TOO variable

Nick1980 — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:35:59 +0000

I want an address to send this back for a refund. I wanted this to make my life simpler not a project to work on

Posted to: Heart rate TOO variable Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Heart rate TOO variable

Nick1980 — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:33:58 +0000

This is the same as my experience with ithlete. Readings are all over the place. The website said nothing of the amount of time and effort you may have to put into getting this to work for you, I was under the impression from your website that this product was plug and play......its not, readings are all over the place. My readings for the first 4 days were in the 50's!! Now after a 12 hours of great sleep I had a -2 decrease!!?? How is this accurate and reliable!!!!

Posted to: Heart rate TOO variable Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Heart rate TOO variable

moderator — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:28:43 +0000

Thanks for the email and feedback. I have the following suggestions:

1. Sometimes non valid RR intervals are triggered by physical movement between the chest and the strap, causing temporary loss of contact. This can be eliminated by ensuring the chest contacts are moist immediately before the test and by ensuring the strap is tight enough

2. An unusual combination of HRV and average HR. The program uses average RR interval length as a base for discriminating between valid and unlikely RR intervals per beat. Once a set limit has been exceeded, the 'irregular rhythm' notice appears. If your average HR in the standing position is higher than about 75, you may well have trouble if your RSA is high (80s on the ithlete scale). One thing to try would be to do a test sitting, and seeing if that reduces the number of times the right hand indicator blinks red. It will allow one non-valid RR interval per exhalation - some people do have a rapid cardiac deceleration during exhaling.

3. Your solution - yes, it is consistency that is important, and shallower breathing in & out through the nose is fine, though as you say, the absolute value of heart rate variation will be lower.

Please let me know what you find works best. I am working on the next release right now, and would be happy to take any learning into account

With best regards, and I hope you get the performance & utility you expect from our product very soon

Posted to: Heart rate TOO variable Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Feeback

moderator — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:26:01 +0000

I am sorry you are disappointed by your initial experience, but I fear this is something related to your particular setup and certainly not to the system itself, which is used by several thousand people with very satisfactory results. It is also being used by professional teams, was just recently described at the UK Sports & Exercise Medicine conference as an 'outstanding product' and is being used in a trial with heart failure patients supervised by a top Cardiologist in a London hospital. The science is certainly not ill conceived or in any way intended to be misleading, and has been presented fro scrutiny at the International HRV Symposium in Halle Germany see http://www.myithlete.com/hrv-blog/show/137#post137.

I am quite happy to give you a refund as you are not satisfied, but would also like the opportunity to redeem ourselves in your eyes. If you are not getting stable pulse readings, this is most likely due to either a poor connection between the receiver and the iPhone, or the receiver itself has developed a fault. The first issue can be caused by fluff or pocket lint in the headset socket, and has frequently been reported as a problem by iphone users. It can easily be removed using self help guides such as http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/tips-tricks/how-to-fix-your-iphone-headphones-mic-if-its-not-working/
If this is not the cause, I would like to send you a new receiver to try, since the original one may have become damaged in the post.

Most sincerely

Simon Wegerif.

Posted to: Feeback Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Chest hair effecting heart rate monitoring

moderator — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:03:07 +0000

Hi Shane
More than 100 years after the invention of te ECG by Dutch doctor Einthoven, there is still no perfect non-invasive way to monitor the human heart precisely & with total convenience.
The sports chest strap is a single lead ECG, and achieves electrical contact by two conductive pads that are held in contact with the skin. The resistance depends on the contact area and the ability of ions / electrons to flow into and from the skin surface.
I think it quite likely that a manly chest will reduce the skin contact for both of these reasons, but there are two possible solutions:
1. Try wearing the strap a bit lower on the front
2. Try wearing the strap around the back, at around sternum height. (this is sometimes done with youth athletes having concave chests)
Hope this helps, le us know!

Posted to: Chest hair effecting heart rate monitoring Show Thread | Post Reply

Chest hair effecting heart rate monitoring

Shane — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:28:25 +0000

Does having chest hair make it more difficult for the chest strap to pick up your heart rate, even when the leads are wet with water or saliva? My ithlete chest strap and receiver are inconsistent in being able to check my pulse, just wondering if it might be due to the manly chest hair.

Thanks
Shane

Posted to: Chest hair effecting heart rate monitoring Show Thread | Post Reply

Heart rate TOO variable

Shane — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:20:19 +0000

Dear ithlete,

I recently bought an ithlete and am having a similar problem that was discussed in this thread: http://www.myithlete.com/getting-the-most-from-ithlete/show/127#post127

My heart rate increases substantially when I inhale, and decreases substantially when I exhale - the ithlete and chest strap correctly picks up my pulse, as every heart beat I check on my wrist is accompanied by the heart icon pulsing on the application, but the application is reading this large increase/decrease in heart rate as an ectopic beat or an arrythmia instead, and the "valid RRinterval" icon flashes red repeatedly so many times that the ithlete tells me I have an irregular heart rhythm (I don't - I'm a doctor and know this). The reading is halted and I get no result. My pulse is just very sensitive to breathing in and out, like it's supposed to.

I notice that when I disregard the breathing exercises on screen, and just breathe normal resting tidal volume breaths, as if I wasn't trying to breathe deep (or hold my breath, which ends up happening if you try to take shallower breaths but still perform the instructed number of breaths in the 55 second time frame) like the on screen lungs instruct you to, I do in fact get consistent readings and no red blinks from the "valid RR interval icon", though the HRV number is significantly lower when I do this. My HRV when following the breathing exercises is in the 70s-80s (that is, on the rare chance it DOES NOT read my pulse as an arrythmia). When I breathe normally (close my eyes, breathe normal depth breaths, more frequent than the animation, but consistent breathing pattern, my HRV is in the 50s-60s, but I get a good reading and almost no red blinking "valid RRinterval" icon.

My question is - if I can develop my own consistent breathing pattern that has more frequent, shallower breaths per 55 seconds that will make the system read my compliant heart properly, and not as an arrythimc rhythm, (though it gives me lower HRV , ex 50s vs 70-80s) - is this my best bet to have this system work properly? I konw that the absolute HRV value doesn't matter as much as the day to day change in the established baseline value.

FYI I am an athletic male in my late 20s

Thanks,
Shane

Posted to: Heart rate TOO variable Show Thread | Post Reply

Feeback

maximus — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:49:41 +0000

To whom it may concern,

My experience with ithlete has been extremely disappointing. After
over 2 weeks of trial, my ithlete system does not consistently give
HRV readings and now does not even pick up my pulse. I have tried
various positions, including sitting, standing, and lying down - it
makes no difference. I have tried repeatedly moistening the leads.
The chest strap is brand new and was bought from your website and the
battery is new. I have spent up to half an hour some mornings trying
to get it to work before I leave for work - only to have it fail me,
and find myself late for work. The "simple one minute reading in the
morning" has been a fallacy. I have even been told by the program
that I have an irregular heart rhythm, when I know for a fact I do
not.

I am extremely disappointed in the product. Additionally, the more I
have read into the product and into the website, I feel that I have
been deceived. I am myself a cardiologist in training, and I find the
usage of medical literature on your advertising website misleading.
While HRV has been studied and well published in the literature, the
ithlete has never been a part of any of these studies. It has never
been shown to reliably measure HRV (or even pulse, in my experience),
and citing medical journals about HRV on your website when your
product has never been part of a peer reviewed study is misleading to
the average consumer who does not know how to sift through medical
publications.

When you create an application that claims to have medical science
behind it, it is in fact unethical to promote a product that gives
medical opinions when they are not founded. If I was not a medical
professional, I could have taken the ithlete's reading about having an
irregular heart rhythm very differently - I imagine the consumer who
this happens to is made more anxious and insecure about their
cardiovascular health when they should not be, and perhaps they go to
see a cardiologist when they never needed to because of your product's
'diagnosis'.

Again, I am extremely disappointed in my experience. I have
troubleshooted everything correctly until this point, and am left
having spent $85 ($75 on the dongle and chest strap, $10 on the iPhone
app) for a product that is dysfunctional.

Posted to: Feeback Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Relationship between injuries and HRV

Andre — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:40:20 +0000

Thanks for the reply.

He is technically a pro athlete, but is only 18, and not an established player in the squad. Another of the players was low to mid 50's when we started (about 3-4 weeks into a 12 week ankle rehab), and now sits around 80 (week 12).

His unit seems to play up, some mornings he doesn't even get a reading, so I watched him do it, and he does it exactly as advised, so therefore he is standing. He is also quite passive, easy come, easy go, and so I'm certain there isn't any anxiety regarding his injury or otherwise. I don't really want to change how we take the reading considering we have now got a battery of data from this way.

My guess was that the healing process was a sympathetic driven process, and maybe that was the explanation, considering the other athlete I mentioned had a low HRV early into the injury process.

Additonally, his performance and wellness is not indicative of his HRV, which is why I think I possibly pushed him too far without realising it.

Posted to: Relationship between injuries and HRV Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Relationship between injuries and HRV

moderator — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:00:23 +0000

Hi Andre

You cover some very interesting topics in your post, that I for one would like to comment on - others very welcome too.
Firstly, for a pro athlete, those HRV numbers are low. Even the 69 peak is quite moderate, and many full time athletes are typically 80s & 90s.
Is he standing or sitting when taking the measurement ? If standing, I would suggest trying sitting down, since I suspect his HR is quite high when standing based on the low HRVs.
I would also check the breathing - is he really breathing along with the lungs in a comfortable & relaxed way?

There is good documented evidence of HRV being reduced with inflammation, especially in chronic disease states, but I don't think this is sufficient to explain what you are seeing.
I think a possible explanation may relate to a level of anxiety that the athlete is experiencing because of the relatively long outage period, and perhaps a concern that the injury will re-occur or could be career threatening. Unfortunately there is no data from before the injury to confirm or deny this theory. Mental stress affects autonomic balance as well as physical training stress, which is why there are so many connections between athletic performance and mood state.

Let us know if these observations are helpful, and any follow up information.

Posted to: Relationship between injuries and HRV Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: I've lost my Ithlete :(

moderator — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:26:13 +0000

Your first post would have been more entertaining if you had made a plea for a charitable user to send / lend you theirs !

Posted to: I've lost my Ithlete :( Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: I've lost my Ithlete :(

Heaneyboxing — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:17:28 +0000

I found it today! I thought that thing was gone forever

Posted to: I've lost my Ithlete :( Show Thread | Post Reply

Relationship between injuries and HRV

Andre — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:03:31 +0000

Hi,

One of the athletes I train has been using the ithlete. He started half way though a grade II MCL rehab and I was amazed to see his HRV was in and around 30. We changed some things and managed to get up to 69 the morning of his return (rugby match), about 3-4 weeks later. Unfortunately, he had a reoccurence in another game a week after that. Almost immediately, his HRV dropped dramatically over the next week to mid 30's, which can not be proportional to the loss (if any) of fitness in that time.

We are now 3 weeks into the 5-6 week rehab and we have managed to keep it in the mid 40's through long duration cardiac output work, direct rehab, and minimal loading elsewhere (I do believe I pushed him too far originally, so I am not worried about detraining).

My question is what, despite a very low, high-intensity work load, explains this dramatic, acute drop, other than something related to the injury?

In addition, this guy counts his calories, sleeps 10 hours a night, and is a total pro, and so it's fair to say there is no other outlying information that I would expect to alter his HRV. Finally, his HRV in general is all over the place. His graph is the most sporadic I have seen yet by far. I would insert an image, but I have no clue how to.

Andre.

Posted to: Relationship between injuries and HRV Show Thread | Post Reply

I've lost my Ithlete :(

Heaneyboxing — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:50:53 +0000

After 7 days of use I've lost that little bugger somewhere. Haven't got a clue where?

Yep feel sorry for me guys haha

Suppose it's lucky Christmas is around the corner...

Does this win most pointless thread in Ithlete history?

Posted to: I've lost my Ithlete :( Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: How to adjust training based on ithlete feedback

moderator — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:31:34 +0000

Hi Leslie.
Thanks for the longer term perspective - I'm sure this is something that newer users will appreciate, because it can take a few weeks to really get into the swing of including the measurement in your daily routine and having a mental state that makes it sensitive. Your readings do seem to be pretty consistent recently, and I hope you have found the system sensitive to daily variations.
The high load in October is evident like you say, as also is the recovery & peaking mid Nov. Have you been using the Zeo app by the way, and did you notice any relation between objectively measured sleep quality and the following morning's HRV?
Please do keep the feedback coming !

Posted to: How to adjust training based on ithlete feedback Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: "Irregular heart rhythm - relax and try again later"

moderator — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:26:39 +0000

Dear Maximus
Welcome to the ithlete Forum. As I replied to your email to ithlete support, based on what you say, it does sound as though sitting might be the best compromise, or lying if that is more comfortable for you.
The idea of making the body tilt is that it activates the sympathetic branch of the nervous system a little, making the measurement a bit more sensitive to impending overtraining. In your case, the HR rise from lying to standing is quite large (25 bpm), and the artifact detector uses the average HR as a gauge to determine whether the adjacent RR interval changes are likely to be valid.
It should be the case that if you breathe more shallowly (in & out through the nose), you will see fewer red flashes on the right hand indicator. But considering what has worked with users in the past who have a large HR elevation on standing, I would start with sitting and see how that goes.
Please let us know how you get on.

Posted to: "Irregular heart rhythm - relax and try again later" Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: HRV scores not meaningful

moderator — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:12:23 +0000

Hi, and welcome to the ithlete Forum. Thanks for the description of the issues you are seeing. Considering your resting HR, the HRV values do indeed sound too low. Typical for that kind of resting HR & fitness level would be values in the 70s & 80s and I have cycling buddies in their late 40s / early 50s who consistently get 80s, so age is not the issue either.
First thing to check is that both the indicators at the top of the screen are remaining green for the duration of the test. An occasional red on the right hand indicator (Valid RRInt) is not unusual, especially when exhaling though.
I suspect from what you said about the first reading being the highest, that the issue might have to do with your mental state & expectation about the measurement affecting the value itself. HRV is used in psychological as well as sports research, and in order to keep conditions consistent, that does include your state of mind. Personally, I find being half asleep helps, as I am not concerned about work & other pressures at that point. This post http://www.myithlete.com/getting-the-most-from-ithlete/show/9?start=8#post150 includes a quote from Dr Liz Miller, a Psychologist, former neurosurgeon and ithlete user giving advice on the best way to approach the measurement from a mindset point of view.
I hope this helps, and if you don't see improvement in a few days, please contact us via ithlete.support@myithlete.com and I will try to help further.
Good luck!

Posted to: HRV scores not meaningful Show Thread | Post Reply

HRV scores not meaningful

pmckenna — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:57:07 +0000

I thought I had posted this message before but don't see it. Hopefully I am not double posting.......

First a few stats. I am 53 year old cyclist. I race for fun and would consider myself quite fit. I have been using ithlete for about a month now on a mostly daily basis. I take my readings first thing in the morning standing up. I am very careful to try and keep conditions very similar while taking those readings. My resting heart rate while standing has ranged from 44 to 51 with 46 or 47 being quite typical. My HRV reading are almost all from 55 - 64 with a single high reading of 72 and one or two below 55.

My issue has been a seemingly meaningless correlation between my HRV scores and my current level of recovery. I can do a very hard interval day and not see much impact the following day on my HRV. More troubling on several occasions I have taken 2 or 3 days completely off without much of a corresponding rise in my HRV. My general sense is that there is little or no correlation between my HRV score on any particular day and my level of recovery. I am aware of the other issues that can impact HRV but none of them apply. I could "make up a story" to try and explain any particular score/trend but frankly the scores look like random noise within fixed parameters. I do see at least a modest correlation between resting HR and the previous day's workout. A couple of beat rise in the RHR after a hard training day would be the norm.

A couple of other issues are troubling as well. I generally use my first reading as suggested but often subsequent readings will vary quite a bit (both up and down). Again this implies to me that the readings I am getting may not be all that meaningful. Also the overall magnitude of my HRV seems to be rather low given my fitness level. I have had a single reading (my very first reading) over 70 all the rest have been much lower. The documentation seems to indicate that physically trained individuals should have much higher readings. Would my age explain a low overall HRV number?

The documentation does mention a possible problem with low resting heart rates and I am wondering if that applies here. As I mentioned above my resting heart rate while standing is generally around 46. Lying down it can be quite close to 40. Are these numbers low enough that it may be hard to get meaningful HRV scores?

I would like to race seriously this season and plan to greatly increase my training load. I was hoping the ithlete would give me some protection against over training but as it stands now the HRV scores are really of no use. I would be interested in any suggestions that might help. Thanks.

Posted to: HRV scores not meaningful Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: "Irregular heart rhythm - relax and try again later"

maximus — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:55:00 +0000

As an addendum - I do not have an arrythmia. I'm a cardiology fellow and know for a fact I don't have one. The RR interval icon seems to stay red both during the inspiration and expiration phases of the breathing exercise - usually at full inspiration or expiration, the thing turns green. Again this happens ONLY when I am standing. When I lie down it is green for the whole minute.

Thanks

Posted to: "Irregular heart rhythm - relax and try again later" Show Thread | Post Reply

"Irregular heart rhythm - relax and try again later"

maximus — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:23:50 +0000

I recently purchased the Ithlete and heart chest strap from the Ithlete website and am just getting started. I am unable to consistently get readings while standing in the morning - I get a message that says "irregular rhythm - relax and try again later". My resting heart rate lying down in bed is around 55 and standing its about 80 bpm. When I try to take a measurement standing, the "Valid RR interval" icon frequently flashes red and the pulse icon usually stays green. When I lie down in bed I do not have this problem, both stay green. Instructions say to take measurements standing -- what should I do?

FYI - I have already read the troubleshooting, and have already made sure I moistened the leads, tightened the strap well, and I know the heart rate monitor battery is good becauseI just bought it from the Ithlete website.

Thanks,
Max

Posted to: "Irregular heart rhythm - relax and try again later" Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: How to adjust training based on ithlete feedback

leslie — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:07:16 +0000

Here I am after 6 months of training (5 days a week):

October seemed to be a good month training-wise.

November is interesting because I tried to peak in the middle for a tournament, which seemed to be pretty successful, and at the end I started taking some time off, which accounts for the drop-off.

There's still some periodicity in the last few months, but not as noticeable as the first few months.

Posted to: How to adjust training based on ithlete feedback Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Where to find a wireless sensor ring?

moderator — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:50:05 +0000

Hi Arnaud
The ring has been on Beta test for a while, and we found that although some people really like it, it doesn't work for everyone, so we have not put it on general sale yet.
But if you really can't get on with a chest strap, get in touch & I'll see what I can do.
Simon

Posted to: Where to find a wireless sensor ring? Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Sorry for this question again.

moderator — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:45:23 +0000

Hi Nathan
The only bad questions are the ones that don't get asked!
HRV will always be lower, and heart rate higher standing, because the heart has to take the brakes off and put on a little bit of gas to keep sufficient blood pressure to the brain.
Finnish researchers also found a slightly better ability to identify overtrained athletes in the standing position, but if you are more comfortable doing the readings sitting down, therefore more relaxed and more likely to do the measure every day, then sitting down wins!
So don't worry about it, and do them sitting down.

Posted to: Sorry for this question again. Show Thread | Post Reply

Where to find a wireless sensor ring?

Arno — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:42:27 +0000

Hello!

I read your ithlete team manual doc. you mentioned an wireless sensor ring.

Where can I find this precious?

Thanks
Arnaud

Posted to: Where to find a wireless sensor ring? Show Thread | Post Reply

Sorry for this question again.

Heaneyboxing — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:58:18 +0000

I've looked at all the threads and I have seen that if you have lower resting heart rate you should take the reading standing up.

Now I've been taking readings sitting down. my resting heart rate sitting down has been 54-61 with a hrv of 78-84 and I've liked the look of the readings.

The only thing is if intake the readings standing up then they are totally different with a resting hr of 85-95 and hrv of 54-64 which i dont like the look of

So which should i use?

I am an amateur boxer train 5-6 days a week and I've had a bit of an easier time at training over the last 7 days as I had a competition.

Thanks,

Nathan.

Posted to: Sorry for this question again. Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Data not graphing?

Greg — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:37:54 +0000

Well, darn. I did buy the HRM instead of the HRV app. I'll download the HRV app and see if I can do better with the graphing aspect. thx.

Posted to: Data not graphing? Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Another week 1 Qs

moderator — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:10:44 +0000

Hollywoodfw - are you still having problems? if so, can you please contact ithlete.support@myithlete.com for personal service.

Posted to: Another week 1 Qs Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Data not graphing?

moderator — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:08:38 +0000

Hi Greg
I guess you are using the ithlete HRM app? (rather than HRV)
So long as you pressed Save at the end of the workout, it really should display a chart when you tap on the Log entry & select it.
If you are still having trouble, can you please email ithlete.support@myithlete.com and I will walk you through it.
Simon

Posted to: Data not graphing? Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: General Feedback for a Beginner

moderator — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:03:17 +0000

Hi Rik
Welcome to the ithlete Forum, and thanks for an interesting (not too long winded!) post.
You're preaching to the converted in terms of focussing on aerobic development - it has many benefits, including development of speed at lower heart rates, and not least being able to use fats as fuel. This latter should lead to more consistent energy levels throughout the day. Mark Allen was trained by Dr Phil Maffetone for many years, and this is where the aerobic training formula came from. From both a theoretical perspective and my own experience, you can do much higher volumes of aerobic training without getting big drops in your HRV. I won't say it's impossible to overtrain, but you will probably find your legs & feet make you stop before you run any risk in the cardiovascular dept!
It is important that you don't go over the recommended HR though, and the ithlete HRM app has settings that will directly calculate your max aerobic HR and set an alarm through headphones if you go over (please note this feature is awaiting a fix for iOS 5 users). It takes some discipline to maintain the optimum HR range, but this is what a number of professional endurance athletes do with 70% of their training time (ie when the cameras aren't on them). Grand Tour cyclists can only do 1000km a week by employing this intensity, but it is not slow once your metabolism has adapted to it. Just efficient, and what our bodies were designed for.
Please let us know how you get on, and how your HRV blue line develops - should be onwards & upwards!

Posted to: General Feedback for a Beginner Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Another week 1 Qs

Discodave — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:03:39 +0000

Out of curiosity Hollywood, what phone are you using??

Simon is looking into my issue ....very good service!

Posted to: Another week 1 Qs Show Thread | Post Reply

Data not graphing?

Greg — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:49:24 +0000

At first, I couldn't get the device to work on my iPhone 4s, but I am getting a signal and heart rate indication using my iTouch. All good.

But.... while it records my heart data and I can see the file in the log screen, it will not graph the data. I'm probably doing something stupid. Can you help?

Many thx

Posted to: Data not graphing? Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Another week 1 Qs

hollywoodfw — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:58:15 +0000

I'm having a similar issue with getting irregular rhythm every time I try to do it. The heartbeat is pretty accurate and the HRM readings are consistent each time. I also picked up a polar heart rate monitor and am having the same issues with that strap.

Posted to: Another week 1 Qs Show Thread | Post Reply

General Feedback for a Beginner

rikved — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:20:19 +0000

Hi All, ---please forgive the long windedness of this post, haha---

I am just starting to run again after a few years off due to general couch potatoeness. I have a heavier build (more like a bodybuilder or power lifter than a long distance runner's) and am using ChiRunning as my guide for form and technique. I would never be able to run without it since I find it has allowed me to run without injury. (5'10" @ 215lbs)

I had been running for about 3 months when I received my ithlete receiver, and immediately found that it suggests I rest a lot more than I have been. That's all right by me! ;o) I want to develop a training routine based on my ithlete recommendations since I know that my build and mindset makes it extremely easy for me to over train. Basically, I want my heart to be strong and healthy, be able to enjoy the outdoors, and get my running robust enough to meet people who like to run and actually run with them. But I'm in no rush to compete in any way.

My experience with the HRV and ithlete app recommendations is that; when I feel like I want to run, I should really just rest; and when I feel like just watching TV, I should go out and run. So I have a bit of adjusting to do since my subjective judgment is the opposite of the recommendation. I trust the recommendation, since I got the ithlete because I invariably over train if left to my own devices.

I really liked an article by markallenonline.com that talked of the virtues of aerobic training for getting distance and speed gains while maintaining the same heart rate. The recommendation for me would be to train at about 138 beats per minute (42 years of age) for the bulk of my training for many months to a year. I like this idea, keeping that constant heartrate (mostly) and watching my performance open up in distance and speed.

My question is; do you think with that kind of training, I could push myself as much as I wanted in terms of the distance? (keeping in mind that I lack the "turning off gene" which is the root of my overtraining)... I mean, with Ithlete guiding my rest and my 138 max training rate guiding my speed, do you think I have to make judgments on my distance to try to keep from going in the red? Or just do whatever distance subjectively feels good that day and take whatever rest recommendations that ithlete provides?

Any feedback is welcome. Remember, I'm not serious about training to improve speed/distance, only serious about my health and having fun!

Posted to: General Feedback for a Beginner Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: ithlete not for my country ;--((

moderator — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:00:14 +0000

Hi Phil

Understand your frustration - I've sent you an email from ithlete.support@myithlete.com with an idea how we can get ithlete to work for you.

Hope it will be resolved soon.

Simon.

Posted to: ithlete not for my country ;--(( Show Thread | Post Reply

ithlete not for my country ;--((

philbruy — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:49:48 +0000

Hello I 've tryed to purchase the application but when I tryed to download it, I've two problems.

first: Android market write me I can't download with my phone which SMASUN S5660 GIO.
second: I live in New caledonia and when I tryed to purchase the application on another website, I can read the message that "my country isn't able to use the application.

Could you please explain me what I can do, if I want to buy and use ithlete?

I bought my phone in order to use ithlete, if you could help me it would be great,

thanks for your next answer.

Phil

Posted to: ithlete not for my country ;--(( Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Inconsistent readings!

moderator — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 19:08:13 +0000

Hi Tony

Apologies for not replying sooner - it's been a long week for me too this week!

The fact that you are building your ithlete baseline during an off period where your conditioning is good is a definite advantage, because you will be able to see trends over long periods of time on the chart screen, which you can tap anywhere on to change between week, month, 3 month & longer views.
Downward trends indicate sympathetic overreaching & overtraining if continued long enough. You will also see amber & red indications on the Weekly & Monthly change indications.
Upwards trends during recovery periods indicate adaptation of the aerobic energy system to improved levels of performance & fitness, but you should be suspicious of sudden upwards changes, especially during periods of high loading from training or competition. ithlete tries to identify these sudden upwards changes that can indicate the onset of parasympathetic overtraining with a red traffic light, as this is a condition that takes weeks if not months to recover from. An inability to get your heart rate up during training is also a reliable sign that you could be heading for trouble in this direction.
Whether the trends are big ups or big downs, the treatment is the same - rest !

I hope this helps, and please let us know how you get on. The real key is what you mentioned near the beginning of your last post - listening to your body, and ithlete helps you to be more objective about that process.

Posted to: Inconsistent readings! Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Ithlete heart rate monitor compatible with other Android Apps

moderator — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:52:16 +0000

Hi,

Not yet, I'm afraid, but I do hope to get the ithlete HRM app ported at some stage.
Sorry not to be more helpful at this point.

Posted to: Ithlete heart rate monitor compatible with other Android Apps Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Another week 1 Qs

moderator — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:50:18 +0000

Hi Dave

It does sound like you have tried all the usual things, so what you are experiencing is quite strange.

I'd be happy to take a look at it, so if you could email ithlete.support@myithlete.com we can set up a time to have a Skype video or other call to get it sorted.

Simon.

Posted to: Another week 1 Qs Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Another week 1 Qs

Discodave — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:34:32 +0000

Hi , I am having some difficulty getting anywhere near consistant readings. First I thought it was my old chest strap , so I borrowed a newer one, seemed slighty better but still telling me I have 'irregular rhythm' and i could not even get the pulse at top left to stay green all the time ,let alone the HRR. so I have recieved one of your Chest straps this week , But I am having the same issue , the text icons are just all over the place turning red etc. I have tried soo much - tighting strap, different positions, moistening the contacts, holding the phone in different postions, lying down , sitting, standing ,differnt times of day. But no joy , I have also now tried 2 receivers too.

When I count my pulse manually whilst monitoring the screen I can feel and count pulses that the display (the little heart in the middle) misses out all together sometime two, it does seem to get the rest in time with other beats

I dont think I have a issue with heart rate irregularity as I had to where a proper specialists monitor around for 24 hours a couple of years ago and did a stress ecg and the specialist reported no issues.

If i move the chest strap slighty I sometimes get no reading at all. I have no issue with any other HRM equipment , so kinda confused......I would really like this to work.

Any Ideas??

Dave

Posted to: Another week 1 Qs Show Thread | Post Reply

Ithlete heart rate monitor compatible with other Android Apps

hollywoodfw — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:22:40 +0000

The title says it all. Are there any Android apps that are compatible with the the receiver and chest strap purchased from Ithlete I could use since there isn't an Ithlete app out yet for Android to ues as a heart rate monitor during exercise?

Posted to: Ithlete heart rate monitor compatible with other Android Apps Show Thread | Post Reply

Re: Another week 1 Qs

Discodave — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:32:15 +0000

Hi , Thanks for your reply.

I actually have a appointment tomorrow with a coach and with a good sports doctor ( the same one as the All Blacks use ....you know the world champs.....just had to get that in there , ha ha ha ) next week to find out some more about the overtraining etc ....and learn more about the 'Type' . I actually dont really understand about the differences..

Thanks again

Dave

Posted to: Another week 1 Qs Show Thread | Post Reply