Top 10 Heart Rate Monitors

Do not exceed your maximum pulse rate

If, for whatever reasons — health, competition — you jog, cycle, row, you will know that after a certain amount of time your pulse beats faster. This is, of course, the intention, because in that way you exercise your heart and circulatory system. This is fine, but the heart beat must not become too high, because that is dangerous. How far you can let it rise depends on various factors, such as age and physical condition. The present meters enable you to check that you do not exceed your maximum pulse rate.

In sporting circles, there is a rule of fist to determine your maximum pulse rate: depending on your physical condition, it should not go over 180 – 200 less your age in years. Thus, if you are in good condition and 40 years old, your maximum pulse rate should not exceed 140 – 160 bpm (beats per minute).

This is not a problem as long as you know what your pulse rate is. It is, of course, simple to take your pulse or count your heart beats, but to do so you have to interrupt your sporting activities for a minute or so. There are various pulsimeters (also called pulsometer) on the market, most of which have additional functions, such as a vhf radio alarm clock, telephone cost counter, data bank with 100 words in 19 European languages, and so. Because of these extras, such meters are unnecessarily expensive. Moreover, some of these instruments appear to be fragile and not at all suitable for use during sporting activities. The present meters are straightforward: they measure only one thing: your heart beat and show this on the display.

A particular problem with this kind of meters is the kind of sensor — and there are several. One could consist of stick-on or suction electrodes as used for taking an ECG — ElectroCardioGram. However, although they are ideal for measuring the heart beats, for everyday use they are a little too cumbersome (they have to be secured to the skin of the chest).

A second method is the acoustic determination of the heart beat, which can be carried out with a sphygmomanometer (blood pressure meter) and a stethoscope or microphone in the inflatable bag around the arm. The heart beat is then heard. Of course, this method is not very practical during sporting activities either.

Less well known, but very usable, is the optical measurement. The translucence of human tissue changes with each heart beat: when the heart pumps blood through the arteries, the tissue becomes less translucent. (Shine a torch at one of your fingertips and look at the tip from the opposite side from the torch). This phenomenon is not, or hardly, noticeable with the naked eye, but can easily be made so by electronic means.

Top Ten Best Sellers in Sports & Outdoors > Exercise & Fitness > Fitness Technology > Heart Rate Monitors

Average rating of Top 10 Heart Rate Monitors: 4.3 out of 5 stars 4.04 of 5 (by 2964 reviewers)

Contributors for Top 10 Heart Rate Monitors:

  • Polar

  • Omron

  • Zephyr

  • Wahoo Fitness

  • Camelbak

  • Concord Health Supply

  • Runtastic

Top Rated in Sports & Outdoors > Exercise & Fitness > Fitness Technology > Heart Rate Monitors

Most Wished For in Sports & Outdoors > Exercise & Fitness > Fitness Technology > Heart Rate Monitors

Most Gifted in Sports & Outdoors > Exercise & Fitness > Fitness Technology > Heart Rate Monitors

tcl stopwatch sport HEART
Copyright © 2013 Top 10 Catalog. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Privacy policy