This pilot was published in the journal Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behaviour in October 2025 and is available as an open access paper here.

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Our survey from 2021 showed that some people with ME use pacing with a heart rate monitor (HRM) to minimize time spent above the anaerobic threshold; however, there is limited research on the feasibility and efficacy. You can read more about pacing with a HRM here.

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The aim of this study was to establish the acceptability, adherence, outcomes, and adverse events associated with pacing with a heart rate monitor for a future definitive study. As this is a feasibility study, no conclusions can be drawn about the data itself; the outcome is whether this protocol is feasible.

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Key points are:

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• The protocol (using home-based testing) was feasible with no adverse events.

• Follow-up interviews identified 89% of participants were still using heart rate monitors after 8 weeks, and 66% after 6 months.

• There was no significant drop in activity level after the introduction of heart rate monitors, which appears to contradict concerns that this method of pacing will cause people to become over cautious.

 

The study was led by Physio for ME’s Dr Nicola Clague-Baker with The University of Liverpool, the Facebook group “ME/CFS – Pacing with a Heart rate monitor #2”, Professor Todd Davenport, the Stockport ME support group and Harry Leeming, the CEO of Visible.

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​Thanks to the ME Association, the Stockport ME support group, Visible and the University of Liverpool for providing the funding for this study.