I’m seeing weird results with my heart rate strap. My ground contact time is really low, but my vertical oscillation is really high! One indicates good form, the other indicates bad form. My subjective experience is that my vertical oscillation is low, but my garmin disagrees.

And I think the reason why is the movement of my breasts. I think they’re moving the sensor itself, and confusing its measurements.

Is that actually a thing? I’ve tried to find research or people talking about it, but all I can find is discussion on the impact of breasts on actual running performance, rather than on the measurement of it.

  • AdaOP
    1•13 days ago

    So, it didn’t really seem to make a great deal of difference, but I’m not sure if I was able to get the band low enough. I had it right at the bottom of my sternum, but couldn’t go lower without it being weird and uncomfortable. And when it was still on my sternum, it was still partly under my bra, so there was likely still movement impacting it…

    • ZagorathEnglish
      1•8 days ago

      I’m sure I saw a video recently that talked about women-specific HRMs which attach onto the bottom of a sports bra rather than being on a strap. But I couldn’t find it again just now when I searched and I didn’t pay super close attention the first time, because I (a cis man) am not the target demographic. So I dunno if this specifically is what they’re supposed to solve, but it seems reasonable to think it might be.

      Here’s a YouTube video for a women’s-specific HRM from the manufacturer.

      • AdaOP
        2•7 days ago

        I don’t think it’s the answer as such, but I think the answer is on the page for that product, which is to say my existing bras probably aren’t supportive enough. That product only works with high support bras, which mine aren’t…