Measurement Accuracy of Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate during Graded Exercise and Sustained Exercise in the Heat Using the Zephyr BioHarness^TM

Abstract

The Zephyr BioHarness^TM was tested to determine the accuracy of heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) measurements during 2 exercise protocols in conjunction with either a laboratory metabolic cart (Vmax) or a previously validated portable metabolic system (K4b²). In one protocol, HR and RR were measured using the BioHarness and Vmax during a graded exercise up to V˙O_2max (n=12). In another protocol, HR and RR were measured using the BH and K4b² during sustained exercise (30% and 50% V˙O_2max for 20 min each) in a hot environment (30 °C, 50% relative humidity) (n=6). During the graded exercise, HR but not RR, obtained from the BioHarness was higher compared to the Vmax at baseline and 30% V˙O_2max (p<0.05), but showed no significant difference at other stages with high correlation coefficients for both HR (r=0.87–0.96) and RR (r=0.90–0.99 above 30% V˙O_2max). During the exercise in the heat, there were no significant differences between the BioHarness and K4b² system. Correlation coefficients between the methods were low for HR but moderately to highly correlated (0.49–0.99) for RR. In conclusion, the BioHarness is comparable to Vmax and K4b² over a wide range of V˙O₂ during graded exercise and sustained exercise in the heat.

Key words

physiological monitoring - portable metabolic system - reliability

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