Respiration Rate

Keep track of your breathing during activities.

What Is Respiration Rate?

Respiration rate describes how often you inhale and exhale in a minute. It is also a primary vital sign along with heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Resting respiration rates are typically between 12-20 times per minute during rest and can be around 40-50 times per minute during intense physical activity. This increase in respiration rate reflects the increased oxygen demand of producing aerobic energy.

  • Familiarity with your body
  • Monitor changes over time
  • Recognize when your working harder than normal
Respiration Rate
 Screen

How Does It Work?

Each breath you take is coded into your heart rate variability (HRV). The length of time between consecutive heartbeats shortens slightly as you inhale and lengthens as you exhale. The term for this biological phenomenon is respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).

The ability to analytically extract respiration rate from HRV data depends on accurate heartbeat data. The degree to which one’s heart rate changes from one beat to the next can be a matter of milliseconds. Challenging monitoring conditions related to the performance of physical activity mean that the pinpoint accuracy needed for this analysis is only achievable using a chest strap type heart rate monitor.