The calcs will be made in much the same way by both - your age, weight, height, gender etc worked into quite a simple calculation (I am a sports scientist and do mine by hand, how sad is that?)
The polar uses heart rate and time exercised as its base data and you can adjust it to suit really easily. The Garmin adds its GPS calculated distance (not really vital given the other data - but nice to see).
Both have FREE training centres were you can track your progress and get laods of useful info!
Ki Fit claims to measure 5 things:
galvanic skin response: sweat response and (if it really does measure GSR) the electrical 'current' across your skin. The first measures changes in your sweating and assumes it is not because you have eaten a curry but because you have moved a bit. The second assumes that your movement has made your sympthetic nervous system more active, rather than your emotions are running high (being embarrassed and jogging will give the same reading).
Skin temperature: shows that your blood is being diverted to the surface of your skin in order to be cooled - might be from exercise, a hot day, a hot bath, a curry again!
Heat Flux: Mmmmmmmm! Not really sure about that one as all it means is the change in skin temp, see above.
Now all of these are used medically to assess health and fitness, but all within a much larger exploration. So there will be scientific proof for them - it just may not be applied properly. Think about those pads they sell that give your muscles shock. They claim to be working your muscles and, as the muscle does indeed contract you can see and feel it. BUT those machines are only really keeping the nervous system working, used in people who have damaged a joint!
Motion sensor: Yes! of your arm! it can be 'cheated' in exactly the same way as a Wii and even when used 100% properly is counting your ARMS yet is being used to produce data on your STEPS!
Any of their scientific proof will consist of a lot of fuss, excerpts from studies that show the accuracy of such calculations, the success rate in those that use any gizmo properly they may even show you the drop out rate for gizmo users. They can't have any independent, real, long term, lots of people research about the Body Bugg as it has not been evaluated by anyone other than themselves - yet! I know they claim independent but that does not mean anything other than the owners didn't run it - a sister company did!!
I think there may be a properly independent study underway looking at the Wii, Body Bugg and a number of other electronic trainers! But it won't publish for a few years yet!
The Ki also gives you access to a whole host of support and charges you through the nose for it! All such support can be accessed for free across the web - that's why the other two don't charge you!
Just a few thoughts that might help you!
Having read all that again I have edited the atrocious spelling
Last edited by stef; 07-23-2010 at 01:31 PM.
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