Health & Fitness Tools

How A Heart Rate Monitor Watch Works

29th November, 2008 - Posted by health news - No Comments

A heart rate monitor is a gadget that measures the heart rate of the user in a real time. It consists of two parts: a transmitter which is a strap like think and is worn around the chest and a receiver to display or record data. Heart rate monitor without straps are also available but are devoid of some of the functions of the original one. Some advanced models also measures variability in the heart rate which is helpful in accessing user’s fitness.

Working of the transmitter

The chest strap, which is worn around the chest, has sensor pads or electrodes. These electrodes must contact the skin directly in order to monitor the heart’s electrical voltages. When the sensors detect a heart beat, it transmits a radio signal which is used by the receiver to find out the current heart rate. The signal transmitted can be a unique coded signal or simply a plain radio pulse. The unique coded signal prevents the receivers to receive and use signals from nearby transmitters.

Working of the receiver

The receivers which is worn on the wrist and looks like a watch also know as a (heart rate watch) receives the signal transmitted from the transmitter. Galore of receiver designs are available with many advanced features which includes average heart rate during the exercises, calories burned, and in a specific zone of heart rate. Not only that, you can download all the details to a computer.

BioHarness: more than a heart rate monitor

This gadget is a combination of heart rate and breathing rate sensors, activity, body temperature, and posture and uses multiple bio-mechanical and physiological sensors. It is used for the purpose of monitoring remote patient, looking after the harms of fireman and soldiers, and athletes who require many things apart from heart rate to find out their fitness. The Bluetooth feature is what makes BioHarness more useful. It has interfaces over mobile phones or VHF radios and you can view its diagnostic software from any part of the world.

Galore of heart rate monitors are available in the market but it is up to you to select one according to your needs. Search on the internet and find the best one for yourself. Also before buying any product, check the authentication of the store from which you are buying the heart rate monitor because there are some stores which are frauds. They will sell you a product with lots of features and will give you no warranty or guarantee. So go for a product which has at least few months warranty.