Use of Heart Rate Monitors for the Harvard Step Test

González-Correa CA, González-Correa CH and Idárraga-Quintero SA

Department of Basic Health Sciences, University of Caldas, Colombia

^*Correspondance to: Clara H González-Correa 

 PDF  Full Text Research Article | Open Access

Abstract:

Background: Physical inactivity or sedentary lifestyle is one of the four major health risks associated with the four more lethal types of chronic non-communicable diseases considered as the global major killers at present time. Physical activity/inactivity is reflected on physical fitness/unfitness. One way of getting insight into an individual’s physical condition is by applying a cardiac stress test, like the Harvard Step Test. When using Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs) in this test, if the readings are not made at the proper time, they give either higher or lower readings as compared to those obtained by the conventional way. Methods: Both methods (manual counting and using heart rate monitors) were compared and the level of agreement examined. Results: Effectively, readings at minutes 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 give higher frequencies and underestimate the level of physical fitness. Conclusion: A better approach when using HRMs would be to take three readings during the first half of each minute (i.e., 01:00, 01:15, 01:30, 02:00, 02:15, 02:30, 03:00, 03:15 and 03:30), average them, and then sum these 3 values or, alternatively, to use the readings midway between second :00 and second :30 (i.e., values obtained at minute 01:15, 02:15 and 3:15).

Keywords:

Physical activity; Heart rate monitors; Harvard Step Test

Cite the Article:

González-Correa CA, González-Correa CH, Idárraga-Quintero SA. Use of Heart Rate Monitors for the Harvard Step Test. Clin Case Rep Int. 2023; 7: 1518.