Changes

A Pulse Oximeter is a device for checking how much oxygen is in your blood (Blood Oxygen Saturation or [[SpO2|SpO₂]]). They work by shining two different colored lights through your finger and seeing how much of each color is absorbed. A healthy person at sea level should have a [[SpO2|SpO₂ ]] of 96-99%. A pulse oximeter is primarily used in [[Altitude Training]] or when traveling to altitude, but it is also handy for measuring [[Resting Heart Rate]]. I recommend two Pulse Oximeters – the cheap ($30) Octive Tech CEN and the more expensive CMS-60C.

This is one of the cheapest pulse oximeters I found, and provides the basic functions adequately. It will display current [[SpO2|SpO₂]] and heart rate, and is easy to use. It doesn't have the more advanced features of the CMS-60C or CMS-50E, such as values overnight or interfacing to a computer. I use a similar pulse oximeter to record my [[Resting Heart Rate]] each morning.

This is a significantly more expensive and more sophisticated pulse oximeter. Unlike most pulse oximeters the main unit and the fingertip sensor are separate. I find this makes it much easier to use for altitude training as there is little weight on the fingertip. Like cheaper pulse oximeters, the CMS-60C will display current [[SpO2|SpO₂ ]] and heart rate, but it will also record the values for up to 24 hours. However, the biggest advantage of the CMS-60C is that it will interface to a computer. I have written some custom software, the [[Hypoxic Timer]], that helps record and evaluate [[Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure]] training. The CMS-60C sensor is also easily replaceable, which is nice.