Accuracy and Precision of Wearable Devices for Real-Time Monitoring of Swimming Athletes

Abstract

Nowadays, the use of wearable devices is spreading in different fields of application, such as healthcare, digital health, and sports monitoring. In sport applications, the present trend is to continuously monitor the athletes’ physiological parameters during training or competitions to maximize performance and support coaches. This paper aims to evaluate the performances in heart rate assessment, in terms of accuracy and precision, of both wrist-worn and chest-strap commercial devices used during swimming activity, considering a test population of 10 expert swimmers. Three devices were employed: Polar H10 cardiac belt, Polar Vantage V2, and Garmin Venu Sq smartwatches. The former was used as a reference device to validate the data measured by the two smartwatches. Tests were performed both in dry and wet conditions, considering walking/running on a treadmill and different swimming styles in water, respectively. The measurement accuracy and precision were evaluated through standard methods, i.e., Bland–Altman plot, analysis of deviations, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results show that both precision and accuracy worsen during swimming activity (with an absolute increase of the measurement deviation in the range of 13–56 bpm for mean value and 49–52 bpm for standard deviation), proving how water and arms movement act as relevant interference inputs. Moreover, it was found that wearable performance decreases when activity intensity increases, highlighting the need for specific research for wearable applications in water, with a particular focus on swimming-related sports activities.

A Survey on Wearable Sensors for Mental Health Monitoring

“…There are several Garmin , accessed on 14 November 2022 (Garmin Ltd., Schaffhausen, Switzerland) watches available on the market. During swimming activities, Cosoli et al [ 50 ] evaluated the accuracy and precision of wrist-worn (Polar Vantage V2 and Garmin Venu Sq) and chest strap (Polar H10 cardiac belt) commercial HR sensors. In a macro view, there are not enough studies reporting analysis performances [ 50 ].…”

“…During swimming activities, Cosoli et al [ 50 ] evaluated the accuracy and precision of wrist-worn (Polar Vantage V2 and Garmin Venu Sq) and chest strap (Polar H10 cardiac belt) commercial HR sensors. In a macro view, there are not enough studies reporting analysis performances [ 50 ]. Ideally, cheap and accessible wearables, such as the Mi Band , accessed on 14 November 2022 (Xiaomi Corp., Beijing, China) line, could be the perfect product to develop the idea, given the ubiquity among wearable users, but their consistency on readings needs more research [ 51 , 52 ].…”

Methods for the metrological characterization of wearable devices for the measurement of physiological signals: state of the art and future challenges

“…distinction between sport and medical devices, surely requiring different metrological performances). Indeed, different target applications require customised test protocols; just as an example, let us consider the case of monitoring of swimming athletes [53] : diverse test conditions are present, different physical activities should be envisaged. Hence, the developed test protocols should be “scalable” and flexible according to the particular application for which the wearable sensor is intended.…”

Smart Consumer Wearables as Digital Diagnostic Tools: A Review

“…In addition, the results from different devices vary. Gloria et al performed a comparative study involving different smartwatches [ 129 ]. Scarlet et al compared the diagnostic accuracy of smartwatches for detecting cardiac arrhythmia [ 130 ].…”