Polar Beat VO2Max 'test'

1 watcher

The_Saint May 2021 10:24am, 6 May 2021 6,801 posts	0 The_Saint I have had a Polar OH1+ optical HRM for a while to get around the shortcomings of the HRM in the Forerunner 245. I noticed that the app Polar Beat that I had installed but not looked at has a 5 minute "fitness test" where you basically put the HRM on, start the test an do nothing for 5 minutes. I tried it a few times expecting nonsense but the number it produces (without units) is very close to the VO2Max that my 245 gives, which itself is in line with other Garmins I have had. Looking around, it seems that this type of test from Polar seems to work reasonably OK ncbi.nlm.nih.gov But I don't see what the test can measure other than resting HR and possibly indirectly respiration rate.
larkim May 2021 11:06am, 6 May 2021 14,216 posts	0 larkim I'd not interpreted the number as being VO2Max; from memory, isn't a score of >48 "elite". If that was VO2Max then an elite level mile speed would be around 6m00; that's a pretty loose interpretation of elite! I did that test a couple of weeks ago and got 49, and I've been pretty consistent with 48/49 as a result whenever I've tried it. Garmin at the moment would give me about 55, but that's on an older watch so the calc isn't that great. Runalyze might put me around 48-50 though for a 5k effort. I agree, I can't see what else it could possibly be measuring though!
The_Saint May 2021 11:19am, 6 May 2021 6,803 posts	0 The_Saint I agree about not interpreting the dimensionless number as being VO2Max but it does seem to be polar.com Yes I took "Elite" or "Ee-lite" as the voice pronounces it with the same pinch of salt as all of these things - anyone who runs regularly is an elite athlete compared to the overwhelming majority whereas we (correctly) consider elite to be county standard runners at least.
larkim May 2021 11:21am, 6 May 2021 14,218 posts	0 larkim Sounds right. In which case, I'm disappointed with my score, though in fairness it's not a million miles away with corresponding with a 20min 5k which I reckon I'd struggle with if parkrun was on this weekend.
Ocelot Spleens May 2021 11:35am, 6 May 2021 30,799 posts	0 Ocelot Spleens Depends on your definition of eeeelite. Compared to professional athletes nope, compared to the vast majority of the UK's massively unfit, majority overweight or obese population, you are!
The_Saint May 2021 11:39am, 6 May 2021 6,804 posts	0 The_Saint I took the test three times over an hour or so to see if it was at least self-consistent (which it was - 58,57,58) but what makes me a bit dubious is that I started shortly after coming in from a run so my HR was still not within 10 bpm of my true resting HR. I will try in on my rest day when by the evening my resting HR gets down to its real value and see if this gives a different result - in which case this test is about potential rather than reality - having said that I suppose VO2Max could be seen this way.
larkim May 2021 11:47am, 6 May 2021 14,221 posts	0 larkim This might sound churlish TS, but if you're getting estimated VO2max of high 50s you should be knocking out sub 18min 5ks with ease What would you expect your RHR to be? Must be very low to be scoring that highly on the Polar test. For me at the moment it's not falling much below 55, but when I'm well trained it will be consistently around 48, at which point I'll be around 18m30 for a 5k (depending on specificity of training).
The_Saint May 2021 11:55am, 6 May 2021 6,805 posts	0 The_Saint Funny you should ask As I said, potential is one thing, putting yourself through the pain is another.
larkim May 2021 5:02pm, 6 May 2021 14,231 posts	0 larkim Wow, that's pretty awesomely low. Though I suppose there isn't a direct link RHR vs VO2Max, even though low RHR is often associated with high fitness levels.
The_Saint May 2021 5:17pm, 6 May 2021 6,806 posts	0 The_Saint I have been hooked up to medical grade ECGs or heart rate monitors a few times in recent years either as a volunteer in university fitness studies or for outpatient procedures and my resting HR always gets remarked on. Even experts get caught up in the "only Tour de France cyclists have very low RHR" mythology. There is an exercise component sure as my RHR was always about 55 before I was a runner.