Amateur footballer: Is a heart rate strap worth it if I wrap my watch on my wrist?
Hey everyone,
I’m an amateur football (soccer) player looking to level up my performance tracking and recovery stats.
Because of the match rules, I obviously can't wear a smartwatch openly on my wrist during games. My plan is to get a Garmin (thinking about the Forerunner 165 or 265) and do what a buddy of mine does—tightly strap the watch to my wrist and wrap it completely in sports tape / a thick sweatband so the referee allows it on the pitch.
Since the watch will be directly on my skin during the game, I know it can measure my heart rate on its own using the optical wrist sensor. However, I’m debating whether it's worth investing in a chest strap (like the HRM-Pro Plus) as well.
I’ve heard that optical wrist sensors have a noticeable delay during high-intensity interval training. As a right-back, my game is essentially 90 minutes of constant explosive sprinting, sudden stopping, and tracking back. I read that a chest strap measures electrical impulses (like an EKG) and can catch these rapid heart rate spikes during short sprints much faster and more accurately than a watch on a sweaty wrist during heavy arm movement.
For those who play football or similar high-intensity sports:
- Is the lag on the wrist sensor actually that bad during short sprints?
- If I’m already taping the watch to my wrist anyway, does adding a chest strap bring enough value to justify the extra cost?
- Does tape/sweatbands mess with the optical sensor's accuracy if it's pressed tight?
Would love to hear from anyone who tracks their matches this way. Cheers!