I too am very interested in HRV. Have you actually used the Suunto T6 series watches for HRV? How well does it work? Does it interface to a heart strap? Do you have data files you could share?
We also got a Wild Divine unit a couple years ago, but haven’t managed to get any software working with it that can log. I was disappointed to realize after getting it that it’s not really suitable for ambient logging as you go about your life: It clips to your fingers and is tethered via USB. You can’t even type with it on. It also seems to be excessively sensitive to movement. So I haven’t had enough motivation to either try to get Kyle’s liblightstone code working with it or try to get the company to finally give me the logging software I paid them for and that they never delivered.
I’ve used both the t6 and the t6c for HRV - they work fine, but there is no way to get real time HRV data - you have to download the data to a computer. I could generate some data files if needed. I’m actually considering selling them since I bought an emwave2 from Dave
Sadly, I lost my Wild Divine a few years ago during a move. I’m really hoping the upcoming Basis watch will measure HRV. I’d love to have some way to log HRV data easily though the day that does not require a strap…I still need to dig into the emwave2 software to see if I can export the data in a more open format
I’ve been using EmWave2 for a couple of months now and I think it’s great. I’ve recorded every session so it’s easy to see I’ve made progress, and I also feel it. Still have a long way to go though, I’m currently getting about 50-80% high coherence on medium, which is the second easiest setting out of four, but initially I only got like 10% on the easiest.
Incidentally, I found out about the device from Dave from his appearance on The Speculist podcast.
Did you get your Zephyr Bioharness? Does it come with Omnisense Live and Omnisense Analysis software? It seems to me that Omnisense Live does not show HRV data in real time? Does OpenZephyr work in real time? Is there no OpenZephyr version for a mobile device?
I too have been following this thread with interest. And yes Gary, I think a group on this topic is ripe.
Ordered an emWave monitor (the PC version) a couple weeks ago from Amazon–paid $241.37 and have been using it pretty regularly since then. It’s built on an old-style biofeedback reference point. Meaning…they hide the actual data collected and present colored thermometers and visual charts, but don’t give you actual HRV data you can built a Poincare scattergram or dump into http://kubios.uku.fi/. It’s focused on giving you bio-feedback visuals and 20 minute sessions to promote deep breathing and something like an inner-centered-ness. All good, but as a QSer, I want access to data that I can compare everyday, and emWave masks your data in a proprietary ‘coherence’ chart and hidden algorithm.
It’s a product that feels like it was designed and built more than 10 years ago, the software is buggy and the interface feels very, very old. On a positive, the ear-clip and finger pulse measure are right…easier than a chest strap. But, emWave won’t hold up against new applications like Azumio http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stress-doctor-by-azumio/id439500612?mt=8
…who uses the camera on your phone to measure your pulse and the new app on iphone4 which captures HRV. (anyone tried this, I only have an Android and the free pulse monitor from Azumio works incredibly well).
Anyway, I’ve spent a good amount of time online researching HRV…trying to find the right balance of actual data with clear visuals for daily comparison. Something that’s not dumbed down to green light-red light, and not as complex as reading a sinus rhythm. Here is one link to physionet.org - a bunch of doctors held a conference in 2006, and posted all their powerpoint slides. This one has good comparisons of Poincare charts, and the library has many, many more presentations from this HRV conference. http://www.physionet.org/events/hrv-2006/yang.pdf
and yes, I’ll post a review of emwave on the ‘complete guide’.
I think HRV is over-due for a good low-cost product (not $350 Polar monitor) that can be used regularly that captures and compares frequent HRV measures.
I have some questions if you don’t mind as I am considering my HRV options:
So EMwave2 does not have a PC version and we only get the thumb device and earclip without PC software? I thought all versions have earclip, thumb device and PC software, but then they have different packages that confuse me a little bit.
Are you not concerned that you will not be able to interpret raw HRV data properly if you get it in raw format?
I think with emWave, there are 2 versions. One is a little portable device, and the other is an earclip with a usb connection.
For the data, I want raw data that I an dump into one of many free analysis programs. AND, a simple output of variability score, maybe just the number with the standard deviation.
I use data for both self-knowledge, and I’m an artist and build installations and objects based on self-tracking data (www.lauriefrick.com).
–laurie[hr]
…please report if you were able to find a hack into the emWave hrv data. thx. !
Hi everyone,
Here are some answers. If you’re going to buy an emwave, please consider supporting one of your follow QS moderators by buying it from me at www.upgradedself.com. Tell me you’re from QS and I’ll give you a better price anyway.
You want the emwave2, which operates while connected or disconnected from a PC. It does everything the USB stick model does except one report, which you can get by adding a $99 software upgrade.
I am writing a post about how to get the data off the emWave2, but the short version is that if you buy the $99 upgrade (from Heartmath only, not distributors like me), you can get xml data.[hr]
Ok, I will complete the instructions on where the emWave stores the data by Wed Aug 17th and post them by 8am PST at this link: http://www.bulletproofexec.com/emwave2-hrv-data-export/
My Zephyr hasn’t arrived yet - they’ve had production delays on the revision I want (rev3). Once I get it I’ll let you know how good it is, and what SW comes with it.
I know the Rev2 does give nearly real time heart rate data. Once I get it I’ll figure out the delay between heart rate and data display.
Currently there is not an OpenZephyr for mobile, but contact the guy who wrote it - he is part of QS Vancouver!
I read the blog and thank you for the info. However, it is still a little bit confusing. Laurie has Emwave 1 desktop edition, so in theory she does not need any upgrade to export the data? Laurie can you confirm? The desktop edition does not have a thumb device that you can carry around, but it has a USB dongle. Emwave2 can be connected to a PC, has an earclip, a thumb device and PC software, but the PC software is limited in what ways? Since there are ways to connect Emwave2 to a PC and can export the data, what are other drawbacks of EMwave2 over EMwave1 desktop edition if our primary use will be on a PC?
That is an interesting post. I have an older HearthMath device and software. The software is Freeze Framer 2.0.6.1 (released Jan 17 2005). I have the USB based ear clip and finger sensor.
I can get the program to export a .DAT file, which has “interpolated interbeat intervals in milliseconds every half second” and “accumulated entrainment score total at every half second”.
Does anybody know if I can use that directly in Kubios?
Did the algorithms or hardware significantly improve since 2005?
[quote]I can get the program to export a .DAT file, which has “interpolated interbeat intervals in milliseconds every half second” and “accumulated entrainment score total at every half second”.
Does anybody know if I can use that directly in Kubios?[/quote]
The Kubios program will performs automatically the interpolation of the interbeat intervals. Thus you must import the time series of the interbeat as RR-intervals (in ms) or as heart rate beat (in bpm).
I’m using the Kubios program to analyze the RR-intervals from my Polar RS800CX. I’m currently doing records of my heart rate variability to show the benefit of a paced breathing at 6 cycle per minute. I know that at this breathing frequency the body goes in a resonant state (the respiration is synchronized with the blood flow) which will laid to an amount of good benefice for the health. Then I’m interested to show how my heart responds to this exercise and how good I perform the exercise.
My protocol is as follow: I get in supine position and record during 5 min a baseline measurement. Then I perform a 6cpm paced breathing during 10 minutes and finally I finish the session by recording the last five minutes.
Once I’m divided properly the three periods of records in Kubios Software, I save the session in a .mat file. I make this for all sessions. Then I use a matlab script which open each of these .mat files and creates automatically three .csv file for the three periods. All of the parameters we can see in the Kubios software are stored in these CSV files in columns. I can then performs easily statistics on these CSV files with any kind of software. I chosen for this purpose the R-program.
Here an example of plot with which I can see how good (or bad) my vagal output was improved after the breathing exercise.
This plot display the difference between the baseline and post-measurement for the HF power in normalized unit (the connoisseurs will find themselves).
Twenty-one records is too few to be able to make pertinent analysis on these values. But I’ll continue the measurements just for myself and try to understand the other HRV parameters, particularly those which quantify the fractal behavior of the heart.
Anyone else having accuracy issues with their emwave2?
I noticed today when hooking it up to the desktop software, that there is a lot of red lines.
Also, in todays reading my heart rate as measured by the ear sensor was approx 20 bpm higher than what was being read by the finger method.
Also, whats the minimum session time for the Emwave2 to save a session? I’ve had a number of sessions I did with the stand alone device not get imported to the desktop version
I haven’t used the finger method yet, but I have been frustrated on occasion with it losing my pulse on my ear. What has been really weird is when it registered a pulse even when it wasn’t connected to any part of my body.
My Zephyr hasn’t arrived yet - they’ve had production delays on the revision I want (rev3). Once I get it I’ll let you know how good it is, and what SW comes with it.
I know the Rev2 does give nearly real time heart rate data. Once I get it I’ll figure out the delay between heart rate and data display.
Currently there is not an OpenZephyr for mobile, but contact the guy who wrote it - he is part of QS Vancouver!
[/quote]
Sorry to bump that, but did you receive the Bioharness 3 Zephyr?
I was able to import data from the software that comes with the mobile EmWave2 into Kubios:
Go to the Review Progress Screen
Control-C to copy the data
Paste into spreadsheet
Remove everything up to first row with data (including the row with 0s)
Remove all columns but Raw IBI
Save as text file
Import raw IBI data from the saved file as a Custom ASCII file. Change IBI data units setting from (s) to (ms).
edit: remove the time column as well, only RAW IBI is valuable. I’m not sure how but it is able to generate the session time from the IBI data which is not time-offset.
Hi, I just got started on HRV. I read through the HeartMath book a while ago, but I have not implemented their exercises yet.
I used my Garmin FR60 Heart rate strap and USB receiver along with HRV tracker.app to get the data onto my iMac. It captures real time data from the strap (with some lost signal glitches I edited out). Then I imported the data into Kubios v 2.0 using WinOnX. (Problems installing version 2.1 Matlab files)(http://dsquintana.com/post/19814503981/how-to-install-kubios-hrv-on-a-mac-without-parallels).
I am in the process of collecting a baseline (5 min standing is recommended based on following link)(http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/heart-rate-variability-analysis-how-to-improve-your-training-performance-40837).
I will review the links from earlier posts to get a better understanding of the Poincare plots.
This approach is off line processing of data, so it is not useful for real time feedback of stress/variability changes.
More to follow.
