Is heart rate monitoring truly off?

[thecuriouskiwi]

Hi, I have a Versa Lite. I turned off heart rate monitoring because I'm pregnant and the jury is still out on if heart rate trackers are safe to use while pregnant. I still want to wear my watch but I notice that the LED lights on the back still pulse sometimes even with heart rate turned off (I know this is mentioned in the help article so I'm not worried about that).

What I want to know is that because LED lights are flashing is it truly no longer testing my heart rate? What are the LED lights doing with the heart rate tracking turned off? I just want to be sure and safe.

[LZeeW · Accepted solution]

Hello @thecuriouskiwi and a warm welcome.  I am not aware of any controversy surrounding optical heart rate monitoring and pregnancy.  From a "how this stuff works" point of view, the light from the green LEDs travels a few millimeters and is reflected back to the sensors.  I searched for any articles on the subject, found scientific articles where optical heart rate sensors were used on pregnant women for research purposes, but can't find any that say it is dangerous.

Could you provide a link to any news or articles that say that the LEDs are risky in pregnancy? 

If in doubt, follow the recommendations of your OB/Gyn.

[thecuriouskiwi]

It helps to understand that the Fitbit uses optical monitoring. This has helped me understand and research better. Thank you for replying.