Heart rate and exercise modes

[SunsetRunner]

There has been numerous topics here and elsewhere about the Ionic heart rate measurements being inaccurate. I had noticed some very odd results too so started using the exercise programs whilst driving around. I did this while driving partly to check the GPS logging and also driving isn't overly active so heart rate should be low plus I don't have to be worried about the ionic bouncing around my wrist etc as could come from running as that could cause heart rate measurement issues. 

Over about 6 tests using the Running mode logging the heart rate has been generally believable.

Using bike mode, the rate was more erratic and subject to wild results, commonly 130bpm and worst case 170bpm whilst sitting still and expecting about 60bpm. Sometimes when I'd see the excessive rates I'd do a crude pulse check to verify I wasn't experiencing a medical condition:) Still close to 60bpm.

I even caught one today where I using the bike program and heart rate was going excessive again ~140bpm. I stopped bike and started a running program. The first few readings were high it drop slowly over a few updates them plummeted to about the expected 60bpm. That was odd.... 

Now the above could just be luck the or does the Ionic process heart rate differently depending on the program? Also I haven't seen the silly results either when not in an exercise program eg just the clock. 

[Julia_G]

My understanding is that all the different exercise programs do is create a label for the activity, and the HR is processed in exactly the same way so I suspect what you are seeing is coincidental.  However, I expect only Fitbit can tell you for sure, and they are unlikely to give you details of how their program processes data.

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