• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Question about anerobic threshold and m.e

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
With teh Polar ones, Ive heard that if one has changed the batteries oneself, that they view that as tampering with it and if it then they wont refund or replace or anything goes wrong with it while still in the warantee period.

I think this is true--but the Polar has batteries in both the chest strap and the watch and by the time you send it back to the factory twice! (I had to pay shipping too) you can buy a new one. The watch batteries only seem to last about 6 months.

I opened the watch at least to change the battery. It is no longer waterproof, but works. Unfortunately there is no way to change the battery on the chest strap.

I am using one now that allows you to change both batteries yourself--a Sigma.

Sushi
 

Gamboa

Senior Member
Messages
261
Location
Canada
Hi, wouldn't being out of breath be the best indication? Or am I wrong about that?

I'm not quite sure. In retrospect I realize that I am often out of breath. My husband is an extremely fit man who works out a lot. He can do a heavy duty 40 minute elliptical session and find that easy. I just assumed all these years that when I was out of breath doing things and he wasn't that it was just because he was so much fitter than me.

By the time I am out of breath my AT has already surpassed my limit. This is why I had no idea all this time that I was having a problem with simple tasks such as sweeping the floor. I'll pay more attention to this and see much above AT I get before getting breathless.
 

Sherlock

Boswellia for lungs and MC stabllizing
Messages
1,287
Location
k8518704 USA
In retrospect I realize that I am often out of breath...

I'll pay more attention to this and see much above AT I get before getting breathless.
Being short of breath is a real hallmark for me, and that gets much worse when I am sick. So that tells me that it is mainly due to something that can change in the span of a day or so, such as accumulation of mucous in the lungs. That's opposed to some cause that can't get better in a day such as inflammatory damage ti the alveoli.

But, as I have been thinking over my health history to the time before I got sick 4 years ago, I realize that I never had good lung power. I'd thought that had been due to smoking. But I as never able to increase my lung power even years after not smoking. I know it's said that your lungs can't overcome years of smoking but this seemed different. I think I was in a kind of "Pre-CFS" for most of my life. I should also add that I can do a large output of anaerobic activity such as in all out sprinting, and handle that fine. It's just that I take a very very long time to catch by breath afterward.

Also, if I take a deep breath at any ordinary time, that'll usually make me feel as if I need to cough. I can feel a tickle sensation in the upper chest. The level of that effect rises and falls according to if I'm sick or not - but I never have a fever so I discount a bacterial infection.

Also, I'd guess that being out of breath is a better indicator than a calculated formula, because one's inner state can change from day to day yet the calculated value doesn't. The tried-and-true 'talk test' is more individualize than a HRM and a predetermined figure. It's just that I get out of breath on many days just from walking up the stairs :(