r-r intervals - Polar RS800 - Suunto T6C
17/06/2008 by Tris.
A useful question asked today by a customer regarding Polar RS800 and Suunto T6C and their use of, and analysis of R-R heart rate data - with regard to heart rate variability.
I have been looking at Suunto T series because of the R-R facility. (1) How does this compare to Polar’s R-R facility.(2) How does the software differ between T6 and T3 (not really interested in T4 Coach system).
Thanks for the mail regarding R-R analysis.1) The big difference is that the RS800 Pro Trainer software gives you ACCESS to the R-R data - so you can extract the RAW R-R information
The Suunto Training Manager does NOT
<<CORRECTION>> it IS possible to extract the RAW R-R data from a T6C or Memory Belt using TRAINING MANAGER software, please see the COMMENTS posting by our kind contributors. I stand corrected - thanks JamieB 
(10-07-09)
HOWEVER….
Suunto analyses the R-R data it has stored and outputs TRAINING EFFECT and EPOC data to give the user a very clear understanding of the WORK LOAD.
That means you have TRAINING EFFECT data for EACH and EVERY session you perform, so it is clear to see when you are over training
The Polar has the OWN OPTIMISER test. This is performed voluntarily and, upon completion, gives the user an idea of their current wellbeing - over trained, under trained, balanced training state etc.
Both are GOOOD.
For the average user, TRAINING EFFECT is useful and gives immediate review of progress and workload
The Polar RS800 is possibly better suited to the purist, the user that wants access to the RAW DATA.
2) Please review the SCREEN GRABS on these pages:
Suunto TRAINING MANAGER software with TRAINING EFFECT and TIME versus HEART RATE curves
Suunto TRAINING MANAGER LITE software - does NOT give time versus heart rate curves
The T3/4 does NOT give a TIME versus HEART RATE curve.. the T6 does
www.heartratemonitor.co.uk
Hope we can help