How to Analyze HRV Data Using Kubios

Importing Data

1. Plug in the watch to the computer to have it automatically open up Polar Sync. When the sync is finished, the Polar website will open to the login page.

2. Download the data as both “Session CSV” and “HRV data CSV.” Session CSV is used as backup if files get incorrectly labeled or something goes wrong; it has data on distances, elevation, and supporting information. HRV data CSV is what we will input into Kubios HRV Scientific 4.0.1

3. This is what the import settings should look like. You can also manually input gender, height, and weight during import.

Adding Analysis Samples

1. Ctrl + click and drag to add new analysis samples

2. Once you let go, a text box will appear asking if this highlighted section is to “add analysis sample”, “add noise”, or to “delete noise”. You can use this to remove data from samples.

3. Once the sample is inserted, you can click the sample, and the selection will be indicated by a darker shade.

Labeling Analysis Samples

1. The sample can be fitted faster by inputting the exact start time and length in hr:min:sec.

2. Once you have the correct sample start and length, enter the name of the sample underneath. Samples of data are selected and labeled according to the time stamps that the participants marked. Under “Automatic Noise Detection” select “very low” and “Beat correction” on “Very Low (threshold)”

Saving Pre-processed Data

1. Once all the segments are highlighted, save the file in Box with the analysis methods ( Very low and Threshold very Low ) turned on as well as off completely. This allows for pre-processing to be done with and without the analysis of the computer involved, in case we decide not to use any of the automated corrections.

2. To save the file, go to File > save results as > and under save file type select “save all” for both autocorrected data and uncorrected data. Both versions of the data are saved in three file formats to Box (.pdf,.CSV, .mat). The .CSV is used to track data specifications, the .pdf can be used to present to participants as a reward for participating, the .mat is used to reopen the file with the exact specifications.

3. Then, we “append results to an SPSS friendly Batch” under the “File” tab in Kubios. This automatically puts the data set in a SPSS acceptable format and saves a lot of work. Then we can select and graph specific data from this format. This SPSS friendly batch provides all data from the file, so it needs to be narrowed down to data that we are interested in (RMSSD, HFlog, SDNN, HR, LF/HF, etc…). This data is then analyzed to reveal trends in SPSS.

ECG data

1. Click "ECG" data

2. Enter the sample rate (Hz)

3. In the analysis window, double check the analysis settings by clicking on the gear icon in the tool bar

   1. For a 5 minute sample, FFT settings should be 512 points, 150 s, and an overlap of 50%​

4. Set the time frame for each sample under the sample column

5. Set to "automatic artifact correction" under the artifact correction drop down menu

6. Save results

RR data

1. Click "RR" data

2. In the analysis window, double check the settings by clicking on the gear icon in the tool bar

   1. For a 5 minute sample, FFT settings should be 512 points, 150 s, and an overlap of 50%​

3. Set the time frame for each sample under the sample column

4. Set to "automatic artifact correction" under the artifact correction drop down menu

5. Save results

Video Tutorials

HRV analysis in Kubios for ECG Data

HRV analysis in Kubios for RR Data