FAQ

Getting Started

  • What devices is the Humon Hex compatible with?

    iOS and Android Smartphones:

    • iOS (link to app on App Store here)
    • Android (link to app on Play Store here)

    Garmin watches: 

    • Garmin watches that support connect IQ (see list here)
    • See this page for how to download and view the Hex data using the Garmin data field 
  • What's included in the box?

    The box contains:

    • A Humon Hex device
    • A strap
    • A wireless charger
    • A charging cable 

  • How do I wear the product?

    Place the Hex on the mid-thigh (quadriceps muscle group) directly on the skin and secure the device by tightening the velcro straps. No need to tighten the straps too much, but make sure the Hex isn’t loose.  Do a quick test by jumping up and down with the device on your leg and if it doesn’t slip off, you are good to go! 

  • How do you fasten the strap to the Hex?
    1. Hold the device face down (you should be able to see the 5 clear windows).
    2. Take one end of the strap and with the Velcro facing outwards and loop the tag through the opening on the side of the hex.
    3. Do the same with the other end of the strap. You’re all set! 

  • How do I turn on/off the Hex?

    To turn on the Hex, hold the power button for 1 second.

    To turn off the Hex, hold the power button for 2-3 seconds.

    LED colors:

    • Blinking red: The Hex is on and not recording
    • Blinking green: The Hex is on and recording
    • No light: The Hex is off
  • How do I charge the Hex?

    To charge the Hex:

    1. Plug the micro USB side of the cable in the wireless charger.
    2. Plug the USB-A side of the cable in your computer or any other suitable outlet USB power supply.
    3. Place the Hex on the wireless charging puck with the Humon lettering in contact with the puck (5 clear lenses facing up.)

    LED Indicator:

    • Solid red: The charger is on but the Hex is not charging
    • Blinking green: The Hex is charging
    • Solid green: The Hex is charged
    • Blinking red: Error- try lifting the Hex up and placing it back on the charger

    Note that the Hex Charger has a USB-A passthrough port on it, allowing you to « daisy chain » another USB powered devices from your Hex Charger, such as your phone.

  • My first workout with the Hex

About the Humon Hex

  • Can heart rate monitors be paired to the Humon app?

    The Humon app is currently compatible with bluetooth heart rate monitors. We do not support ANT+ heart rate monitors at this time.

    Known compatible heart rate monitors:

    – Polar

    – Wahoo

  • What is the battery life of the device?

    The Humon Hex has a 12hr battery life. 

  • Is the device one size fits all?

    Yes! The strap that comes with the device was designed to fit a range of athletes; however, if you would like to purchase a smaller or larger strap, feel free to email us at support@humon.io.

  • Can the Hex be connected to multiple devices at the same time?

    1. The Hex uses BLE and ANT+ to send data to smart devices. So yes, you can record your workout on a smartphone (using BLE) and see the data on a Garmin watch (using ANT+). Click here to watch a video on pairing with an iPhone, and click here to watch a video on pairing with a Garmin Watch! However, you can’t pair the same Hex with two smart phones.

       
       
  • Is the Hex waterproof?

    The Hex is designed to be IP54 rated. This standard states that:

    Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect

    What this means is that it will be resistant to sweat during normal use, OK to use in rain, however for it is recommend to avoiding showering with the Hex on, and definitely not submerging it. We have designed the Hex to a higher standard than this, but are still working through this certification.

     
     

About my Purchase

Wearing and Caring

Shipping and Returns

Using the Humon Smartphone App – NOT AVAILABLE

  • How do I connect the Hex to the Humon Smartphone App? NOT AVAILABLE
    1. Download the Humon app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. NOT AVAILABLE
    2. Turn on the Hex by holding the power button for 1 second (you will see a red blinking light by the power button).
    3. Enter your email and create a username/password.
    4. Press the red “SIGN UP” button
    5. The next screen in the app will show two large buttons to pair the Hex and an optional Bluetooth heart rate monitor.

    To connect the Hex to the Humon Smartphone App: NOT AVAILABLE

    1. Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your smartphone.
    2. Turn the Hex on and hold it close to the phone and press the pair Hex button. The red indicator in the corner of the button should turn green when paired.
    3. Press the pair heart rate monitor button if you choose to record data from a compatible Bluetooth heart rate monitor.

  • How do I start/stop a workout? NOT AVAILABLE
    1. Before you start, make sure you are wearing the Hex on your thigh.
    2. Once you’ve paired the Hex, press the “next” button at the bottom of the screen.
    3. Select your activity (« Running », « Cycling », « Rowing », or « Other »).
    4. Select your workout type (« Interval », « Endurance », or « Incremental »). Check out the article « Endurance vs. Interval vs. Incremental mode » which explains more about what the different workout types mean. 
    5. Press « next » at the bottom of the screen and you will see the message « Wear your Hex on your thigh as shown below before starting your workout » and an image with a man wearing his Hex. Be sure the Hex is on and press « start workout ».
    6. The app will show the message « Calibrating… do not move the Hex ». In this step the sensors are being calibrated to optimize the readings for the muscle group you are measuring. The LED on the front of the Hex will be solid blue.
    7. Once calibration is complete, the LED on the front of the Hex will start blinking green and SmO2 values will appear on the screen. To change the SmO2 number display to a graphical display, check out the article « SmO2 Display View« .
    8. To stop your workout and view your data, press the red “stop button”. TIP: we recommend recording the recovery portion of your workout with the Hex (and waiting until the blue zone turns back to green).
    9. You will be asked to rate how difficult your workout was by selecting a number between 1-10 on the next screen. You will also have the option to write down any notes about the workout you just completed in the text box.
    10. Take off the device (DO NOT TAKE DEVICE OFF BEFORE ENDING THE WORKOUT).
  • SmO2 Display Views - NOT AVAILABLE

    Once you’ve started a workout and you see your SmO2 % value, you can click the SmO2 % and see a graphical representation of the data. The zone (steady state, recovery, approaching limit, and limit) will always be shown beneath these two views. You can click back and forth depending on which view you would like to see. 

  • Profile Page - NOT AVAILABLE

    Click the « profile » tab at the bottom of the app to input information about yourself, such as height, weight, age, and gender.

Using the Humon Hex with MOXZONES Garmin App

  • How do I install the MOXZONES Garmin Data Field?

    To add the MOXZONES Garmin Data Field to your Garmin device, download it using Garmin Express, the Garmin Connect iOS app or the Garmin Connect Android app and install to your Garmin device.

    Note: do not use any other similar muscle oxygen data fields with the Hex. Make sure to download and use the MOXZONES Data Field only.

     To add the MOXZONES Garmin Data Field to your screen, follow the instructions for your particular Garmin model. For example, from the Forerunner 935 manual these instructions are as follows:

    Customizing the Data Screens

    You can show, hide, and change the layout and content of data screens for each activity.

    1 Hold the menu button
    2 Select Settings > Activities & Apps.
    3 Select the activity to customize.
    4 Select the activity settings.
    5 Select Data Screens.
    6 Select a data screen to customize.
    7 Select an option:

    • Select Layout to adjust the number of data fields on the data screen.
    • Select a field to change the data that appears in the field.
    • Select Reorder to change the location of the data screen in the loop.
    • Select Remove to remove the data screen from the loop. 8 If necessary, select Add New to add a data screen to the loop.

    You can add a custom data screen, or select one of the predefined data screens.

    Note: do not connect to the Hex through the Garmin settings screen.

  • How do I see the Hex data on my Garmin?

    To see the Hex data on the MOXZONES Garmin data field, the workout on the Hex must be started. To do this you must:

    1. Be wearing the Hex on your quad
    2. Turn the Hex on by pressing the button once. The LED next to the button should be blinking red.
    3. Double click the button on the front of the device. You will see the LED on the front go from blinking red (not connected over BLE), to solid blue (calibrating), to blinking green (acquiring measurements).
    4. Once the Hex is blinking green you should be able to see the SmO2% on the Garmin watch data field.
  • Viewing my data on Garmin Connect

    After syncing your data collected using the MOXZONES Data Field you can view it on Garmin Connect. The Humon Data Field will provide hemoglobin concentration (accurate to 0.01 g/dl) and hemoglobin percentage (accurate to 0.1%). 

     

  • Hemoglobin Concentration in g/dL

    The g/dL value in Garmin is the hemoglobin concentration in the blood, as opposed to what the Hex really measures (in the muscle). Garmin requires that this data/units give the concentration in the blood, so we have to make an approximation to do this conversion. What is more important when looking at this hemoglobin concentration data is the directional change during a workout.

Muscle Oxygenation (SmO2)

  • What gives our muscles energy?
    1. Our muscles need to be constantly supplied with energy during physical exertion, and this energy comes from two main components: sugar and oxygen. Oxygen is carried throughout the body by red blood cells by binding to a protein in the cell called hemoglobin. The circulation of oxygenated blood throughout the body is a cyclic process – when we take a breath of air in, the lungs help transfer oxygen from the air so that every hemoglobin is full of oxygen. This is oxygenated hemoglobin, or oxyhemoglobin. When the red blood cell circulators to a muscle during physical exertion, it becomes deoxygenated hemoglobin, or deoxy-hemoglobin. 
  • What does the Hex measure?

    1. The Hex measures muscle oxygenation (SmO2) by shining light into the muscles and detecting the amount of light reflected back. Light in the near-infrared wavelength range is used by the Hex to penetrate the muscle and is either absorbed or scattered by the tissue. The wavelengths of light are chosen specifically to be sensitive to the absorption of oxy-hemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxy-hemoglobin (Hb). By measuring how the light is absorbed, the concentrations of HbO 2 and Hb within the muscle can be found. The SmO2 is then calculated by taking the ratio of HbO2 to the total hemoglobin (HbT = HbO2 + Hb). 

  • What is muscle oxygen saturation?

    Muscle oxygen saturation, also known as muscle oxygenation or SmO2 , represents the balance
    between oxygen delivery and oxygen consumption in the working muscles. When an athlete engages in activities, several physiological responses can be observed including; increasing, steady or decreasing Sm02.

    • Increasing Smo2 = greater muscle oxygen delivery compared to consumption.
    • Steady Smo2 = balance between the muscle oxygen being delivered and consumed. 
    • Decreasing Sm02 = greater muscle oxygen consumption compared to delivery.

    Remember: SmO2 values vary depending on the muscle group and individual.

  • What does increasing SmO2 mean?

    When you see the SmO2 trend going upward, more oxygen is being supplied than consumed. 
    This is typically observed during low intensity activity (including a recovery or a warmup). When the blue zone is shown we classify this to be the “recovery” zone. 

  • What does decreasing Sm02 signify?

    When the SmO 2 trend is goes downward, oxygen is being consumed faster than it is being supplied. This is typically observed during high intensity exercise, such as sprinting or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This decreasing trend is classified as orange zone (approaching limit) and red zone (limit).

  • What does a level SmO2 trend mean?

    When the trend in SmO2 is flat, there is a balance between the oxygen being supplied and
    consumed. This reflects a ‘steady state’. We typically experience steady state during moderate intensity activities such as long slow biking or running. This steady state is classified as the green zone.

  • What are typical SmO2 values?

    SmO2 levels can vary greatly depending on the individual’s fitness level and the type of workout. However, we’ve compiled a list of SmO2 data from over 1000 workouts and here are the average SmO2levels:

    Average 63 ± 10%

    Maximum 72% ± 10%

    Minimum 52 ± 17%

    This is different than SpO2 values that a pulse oximeter measures, which are usually in the 90-100% range. This is because SpO2 measures oxygen supply, while SmO2 captures utilization.

    The change in SmO2 throughout a workout is particularly important to understand how hard you are pushing yourself.

  • Why is my SmO2 going up when I'm pushing hard during an exercise?

    It’s super important to remember that the Hex is measuring the SmO2 in one muscle location. So there may be times when you are working out and the trend in SmO2 is not agreeing with how hard you’re pushing. Think about where you are wearing the Hex (likely the quadriceps muscle group) and what other muscles you may be using. For example, you could be walking up a very steep incline and engaging your calf muscles much more and the SmO2 in the quad doesn’t change much. Or if you have experienced an injury in the past and tend to overcompensate during some activities by using certain muscle groups more than others, that could also explain it. Either way, feel free to email us at support@humon.io if you want to talk more about the specifics of your measurements!

Example workouts

  • How do I connect the Hex to the Humon Smartphone App?
    1. Download the Humon app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
    2. Turn on the Hex by holding the power button for 1 second (you will see a red blinking light by the power button).
    3. Enter your email and create a username/password.
    4. Press the red “SIGN UP” button
    5. The next screen in the app will show two large buttons to pair the Hex and an optional Bluetooth heart rate monitor.

    To connect the Hex to the Humon Smartphone App:

    1. Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your smartphone.
    2. Turn the Hex on and hold it close to the phone and press the pair Hex button. The red indicator in the corner of the button should turn green when paired.
    3. Press the pair heart rate monitor button if you choose to record data from a compatible Bluetooth heart rate monitor.

  • How do I start/stop a workout?
    1. Before you start, make sure you are wearing the Hex on your thigh.
    2. Once you’ve paired the Hex, press the “next” button at the bottom of the screen.
    3. Select your activity (« Running », « Cycling », « Rowing », or « Other »).
    4. Select your workout type (« Interval », « Endurance », or « Incremental »). Check out the article « Endurance vs. Interval vs. Incremental mode » which explains more about what the different workout types mean. 
    5. Press « next » at the bottom of the screen and you will see the message « Wear your Hex on your thigh as shown below before starting your workout » and an image with a man wearing his Hex. Be sure the Hex is on and press « start workout ».
    6. The app will show the message « Calibrating… do not move the Hex ». In this step the sensors are being calibrated to optimize the readings for the muscle group you are measuring. The LED on the front of the Hex will be solid blue.
    7. Once calibration is complete, the LED on the front of the Hex will start blinking green and SmO2 values will appear on the screen. To change the SmO2 number display to a graphical display, check out the article « SmO2 Display View« .
    8. To stop your workout and view your data, press the red “stop button”. TIP: we recommend recording the recovery portion of your workout with the Hex (and waiting until the blue zone turns back to green).
    9. You will be asked to rate how difficult your workout was by selecting a number between 1-10 on the next screen. You will also have the option to write down any notes about the workout you just completed in the text box.
    10. Take off the device (DO NOT TAKE DEVICE OFF BEFORE ENDING THE WORKOUT).
  • SmO2 Display Views

    Once you’ve started a workout and you see your SmO2 % value, you can click the SmO2 % and see a graphical representation of the data. The zone (steady state, recovery, approaching limit, and limit) will always be shown beneath these two views. You can click back and forth depending on which view you would like to see. 

  • Profile Page

    Click the « profile » tab at the bottom of the app to input information about yourself, such as height, weight, age, and gender.

Zones

  • What do the different colored zones mean?

    The Hex classifies the muscle as being in one of four zones:

    1. Green (steady state): when the oxygen delivery and consumption in the muscle is balanced, meaning the athlete is training at a sustainable pace.
    2. Orange (approaching limit): when the muscle begins consuming more oxygen than what is being delivered, meaning the athlete is nearing their body’s limit.
    3. Red (limit): when the muscle is consuming significantly more oxygen than what is being delivered, meaning the athlete is training at an unsustainable pace.
    4. Blue (recovery): when the oxygen delivery is greater than the consumption in the muscle, meaning the athlete’s muscles are recovering.

    These zones can be used to pace yourself and manage training intensities when your train!

  • Endurance vs Interval vs Incremental mode

    Choose « Incremental » if you want to identify your body’s threshold. You will need a treadmill or a stationary bike.

    Cycling:

    • Start cycling on a stationary cycle ergometer at a very low power (something that feels like minimal resistance, like 30 W) for 4 minutes
    • Increase the wattage by 30 W every 4 minutes
    • Cycle until you absolutely can’t push any further (when you reach voluntary exhaustion)

    Running:

    • Start by running on a treadmill at a very slow pace for 3 minutes
    • Increase the speed by 0.5 mph every 3 minutes
    • Run until you can’t push any further (when you reach exhaustion)

    Choose « Interval » Mode if you plan to do a workout with high-intensity bursts of 2 minutes or under followed by a recovery phase.

    Choose « Endurance » Mode for anything else.

  • How is the training feedback determined?

    The Hex determines zones based off of features present in the optical signal, which include the muscle oxygenation (SmO2), oxygenated hemoglobin concentration (HbO2), and de-oxygenated hemoglobin (Hb) concentration.

    These zones are NOT found by assuming fixed SmO2 thresholds. Humon’s algorithms analyze the balance between the oxygen supply and oxygen demand in the tissue and classify the state of the muscle as being in 1 of 4 zones:

    • Steady state
    • Recovery
    • Approaching limit
    • Limit