Blaze resting heart rate absurdly inaccurate?

[WalshDaddy]

I just recently purchased the Blaze to help monitor my heart rate.  I had previously had a fitbit One, but my doctor wanted me to monitor my heart rate because of medication that I am on.  I figured that I might as well kill two birds with one stone and get the Blaze to monitor my steps and keep track of my heart rate at the same time (I find it challenging to try to take my pulse throughout the day and doubt the accuracy of my own readings so I thought an electronic device might be more accurate).

I have read through many posts,  but have not found an answer to my problem.  How does fitbit calculate resting heart rate?

I was under the assumption that it considers your heart rate to be resting over a span of time when you have accrued a minimal amount of steps (especially this is what moderators have responded to other people with).  Example: if you have obtained 20 steps over the course of an hour, your heart rate would accurately be assumed to be in the resting state.

I work at a desk job and move very limitedly throughout the day.  I find it hard to believe the resting heart rate that fitbit claims that I have each day when it thinks that I am in "fat burn" mode for over 12 hours.  If I am sitting at my desk for 2 hours straight, why does it think that my heart rate isn't at the resting heart rate stage and instead claims that I am working out and in fat burning mode?

I believe that fitbit, instead of calculating resting heart rate the sensible way (by measuring your average heartrate when you are resting), instead just ASSumes that if your BPM is over 100 you aren't resting.  Why else would I be in "fat burn" mode while sitting at a computer (I really can't type THAT fast)?

Could someone please enlighten me beyond the canned ambiguous and pointless responses that moderators have been providing to other peoples' questions as to how the resting heart rate is actually calculated by these devices?

[Corvettekid]

Shipo, are you saying your resting HR at a desk or PC is 20-30 beats less than 72 ?

[bbarrera]

@Corvettekid read about it at Mayo Clinic website http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/heart-rate/faq-20057979

Or just google "athlete resting heart rate" and you'll find plenty of articles.

[shipo]

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@Corvettekid wrote:

Shipo, are you saying your resting HR at a desk or PC is 20-30 beats less than 72 ?

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Exactly; sitting at my desk my heart rate is typically one or two either side of 42.

Here's a quote from VeryWell.com:

• https://www.verywell.com/resting-heart-rate-p2-3120109
• The range for resting heart rate is quite large, but an average resting heart rate for a healthy person is about 60-75 BPM. Athletes may have resting heart rates values as low as 40-50 BPM. If your resting heart rate runs 80 or high on a regular basis, you may want to have a check up with your doctor. For most people, the resting heart rate will decrease as the heart becomes stronger and more efficient.

[fudge22]

My resting heart rate during the day is between 50 and 60 at the moment. I just stopped running about a month ago due to an injury and every week my resting heart rate has been slowly increasing. When I am in shape it is in the mid 40s. After long periods of time without training my resting heart rate increases to around 60 or 70. It took me a few weeks of running 5 days a week for 20 minutes at a heart rate of 160-170 for my resting heart rate to go from high 60s down to low 50s. 

As other have posted, athletes typically have lower resting heart rates because they have stronger hearts.

[shipo]

@Corvettekid, don't know if you've looked at page 1 of this thread, but in post #12 I added a screen shot from a couple of weekends ago where my sleeping heart rate bottomed at 35 bpm, I've since had several days showing 33 and 34.  

Post 12 of this thread: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Blaze-resting-heart-rate-absurdly-inaccurate/m-p/1380080#M1866...

Here's another screen shot which shows a my heart rate over a range of days:

[Cybdiver]

If your heart rate is at 100 while resting I suggest your doctor change your medication or stop eating all those salty foods. 

Or this is weird do you have a hairy wrist?  also try moving it to the underside of your wrist. 

Maybe it's just me but mine is pretty accurate for a 200 dollar device.  I've done comparisons with medical equipment and it's usually pretty close. 

I wouldn't expect a high level of accuracy from a piece of sporting goods.  Close is good enough.  But over 100 while on medication you've got a problem.

[Swoodr]

No kidding! Very frustrating. This am when I looked at my stats, it said my heart rate was 159 at 11:59pm. I didn't even have the Blaze on. It sat next to my phone. What's up with that about? Getting a reading from my phone. Seriously

[AngelaMa]

Hello everyone! Thanks for taking the time to visit this thread and share your experience. Fitbit trackers are not medical devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your physician for any inquiry about your heart rate. Also you can find more information about the heart rate on this article. @Swoodr sometimes the vibrations near the tracker can cause this readings, if you are not wearing your Blaze I would suggest to turn Off the heart rate feature to avoid this from happening. 

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂  

[DaveHem]

I think these low RHR readings are totally false now that I read how many others are having the issue  and is my reason for being on the site. This blaze is my third fitbit and is the only one with such readings but for me is of major concern to me because of recent stint and meds. I dont like thinking my heart is slowing to low 40s and even high thirties , I do like to awaken in the morning. now all of a sudden the past 3 days have been in the 60s. problems may have been addessed??

[shipo]

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@DaveHem wrote:

I think these low RHR readings are totally false now that I read how many others are having the issue  and is my reason for being on the site. This blaze is my third fitbit and is the only one with such readings but for me is of major concern to me because of recent stint and meds. I dont like thinking my heart is slowing to low 40s and even high thirties , I do like to awaken in the morning. now all of a sudden the past 3 days have been in the 60s. problems may have been addessed??

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I'm not sure how you've come to the conclusion the low RHR readings are "totally false"; between folks I run with and folks I work with, I know at least a couple dozen individuals who sleep with a heart rate in the 30s and have an RHR in the low to mid 40s.  When compared against the "finger on the pulse" test, or better still, a Polar chest strap, these low heart rates are verified.

[Rich_Laue]

Has anybody read the Heart Rate FAQ to see what Fitbit says? 

[Babaloo55]

Got my Blaze 3 months ago and it reads RHR 54. If I take off watch it will read 54, then the next time I get ready to put it on, it reads 100 before I even strap it on! I have watched it vary without it on my arm. Once in awhile, when I am walking, it jumps and holds a reading of 188bpm. It did it for 20 minute walk! I put my wife's Charge HR on the other wrist and checked it when it did it again and the Charge is reading 120! I switched arms and got the same thing again!  Maddening to say the least.

As a long time Fitbit owner, I have been disappointed with the Blaze. I have synched and updated and it loses the blue tooth at start of run then finds it in a minute! I have clear view of 18-22 satellites on my GPS finder. ( I end up using another app, like Caynex or similar and have extreme accurate results. I agree with Shipo about RHR Reply, just wish I could get the other problems figured out. Thanks in advance!

[Babaloo55]

My resting heart rate is 47 and been checked by my physician and Cardiologist as fine, and I run as an Clydesdale! LOL . Blows there minds, to say the least!

[Anointedrj]

When I was younger and ran a lot, my RHR was always around 44.  It's normal.  I'm 65 now and it hovers at 55 - 57.