High Hear Rate Reading while Kneading Bread

[Alexander16]

Certain activities result in very high heart rates being read by the fitbit Charge 4.   I am not sure if affects my other measurements, such as say Cardio Fitness but it is something that needs to be looked at.   For example, my actual heart rate is in the order of 67 bpm during kneading, but fitbit is measuring over 126 bpm.   I know take the fitbit off during this activity and put it back on after I have finished.  It will be interesting to see if this has any impact on my overall cardio fitness. 

[shipo]

LOL, I kind of know what you mean.  I am in pretty good shape in that I'm currently running between 100 and 150 miles per month and typically have a resting heart rate in the mid-40s, and like you, when I knead bread dough, a hobby I picked up when COVID shut down my office, my heart rate spikes.  I just checked my heart rate graphs for the last few times I kneaded dough and it looks like I spike up to somewhere between 95 and 105 bpm.

[Alexander16]

Thankyou - well that is good confirmation.   Like you my Resting Heart Rate is between 40 and 42 and I do a lot of manual work in and around our property and I struggle to get to around 115 bpm under most intensive sessions, so that is why the fitbit measuring 126 was a bit of a shock, when is actually around 67bpm.

[emili]

If it is always reading a higher HR, every single time, then maybe kneading dough is more intense then you think. Maybe the wrist motion is causing the sensor to be off (although I can't figure how), but as far as your cardio fitness score- no, no impact. 

[Alexander16]

Yes, I do think it is an anomaly, and as you say probably a combination of reading the sensor and the movement of the wrist - today I managed to get it to 134 bpm which is edging towards Max Heart Rate!

[shipo]

Speaking strictly for myself, but I feel like I get a pretty good arm, shoulder, and chest workout kneading bread.  Under the heading of, "Ask one hundred bread bakers how they do it, and you'll get one hundred different answers", I use a double knead process, I make the dough, give it maybe 10 to 15 minutes of kneading before I put it back in the bowl, cover it, and then let it proof in the refrigerator for a week or so.  The second kneading session comes after the long slow ferment in the refrigerator as a way to set up for the second proof; this kneading session typically lasts between 5 and 10 minutes.  In both cases, when I'm done I am typically breathing as hard as I do when I'm running down my favorite trail; go figure.  😛