We’re excited to announce that Garmin’s Enhanced Beat-to-Beat Interval data is the newest addition to Fitabase!
Beat-to-beat interval data is ideal for researchers looking to derive their own metrics and classifications, like HRV, and this enhanced version is meant to give researchers greater insight into the accuracy of each individual beat. Previous iterations of the BBI offering from Garmin prioritized availability of the signal, even when the signal was potentially low-quality. For this iteration of the EBBI metric, Garmin has changed the way it processes data, leading to a more accurate dataset, and added a confidence score to each beat rating, which allows researchers to understand which readings may be weaker than others and filter them out as needed.
The new confidence metric is provided for every heartbeat. A high confidence reading is indicated by a 1 and a low-confidence reading is indicated by a 0. Things like motion, signal quality and abnormally high HRV can also result in a low confidence score for a particular beat. You’ll find this metric right alongside the beat reading in .csv files you can download on the Fitabase platform for any participant wearing a BBI- enabled Garmin device.
Enhanced BBI is a premium offering on Fitabase and can be added to any project using relevant Garmin devices. Most researchers who work with Garmin and Fitabase use the Vivosmart 5 and Venu 3, but all models with Gen 4 or greater sensors can gather EBBI. And, just as with all other datasets Fitabase captures from Garmin devices, the Garmin Connect app is the only app required to use Enhanced BBI. There is no additional download necessary for participants to start collecting and analyzing data!
Connect with us today to learn more about EBBI and how you can add it to your next Garmin-based research study.