WHOOP also tracks sleep, to accurately find optimal training zones, including sleep cycles, disturbances, respiratory rate, circadian rhythm, and more. Over time, you can monitor changes in RHR as you navigate training cycles. WHOOP also measures your RHR during your deepest sleep each night for consistent, controlled readings.

Leading exercise physiologists agree that HRV is one of the most useful tools for determining optimal training loads. HRV measures the variation in time between each heartbeat. These metrics are calibrated to your baseline to give you personalized daily recovery recommendations. WHOOP calculates your recovery based on 3 physiological markers: Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Resting Heart Rate (RHR), and sleep. But how does a fitness tracker really know, that you’re, “overdoing it” when it comes to training? When you start an activity, WHOOP will show you in real-time whether you need to push harder, if you’re over-exerting, or if you’ve reached your goal. Whoop explains that strain-coach is an exertion level recommendation based on how recovered your body is. From these measurements, heart rate is calculated.įor example, the new WHOOPstrap 3.0 has a built-in strain coach. When the heart ebbs, it absorbs less green light. When your heart rates beats, more blood flows into the vessels, which absorbs more green light. Electromagnetic sensors are used to detect motion, and the fitness trackers interpret that information using an algorithm that trains the devices to recognize whats interpreted as a step.įitness trackers that measure heart rate use equations based upon age, height, gender, weight and activity level, to estimate caloric expenditure. Most fitness trackers used a method called photoplethysmography, which measures blood volume by shining a beam of green LED light into the wrist. Accelerometers use your body’s acceleration to estimate energy expenditure. Some fitness trackers such as WHOOP and FitBit have both. There are accelerometers and there are heart rate monitors. When it comes to fitness trackers, there are two distinctly different functions, that most trackers use. One of the fundamental keys however to understanding how accurate fitness trackers really work is knowing the difference between what they are measuring. Most of these devices are synced to smartphones or desktops through apps for long-term data tracking. Studies from fitness trackers include applications for tracking and monitoring metrics such as distance walked or ran, caloric expenditure, sleep patterns, and heart rate monitoring. But if the data output is wrong, then are fitness trackers really worth it? How Do Fitness Trackers Work?Īlthough technology is constantly evolving to provide more actionable insights into how you can improve your well-being, studies have shown mixed results for how accurate these devices really are. The lingering question is, do fitness trackers really work? And are fitness trackers accurate? It’s one thing to track how many calories you burn in a day, sleep patterns, and heart rate. But, the biggest problem with fitness trackers, isn’t that they're addicting, it’s that they’re not addictive enough.Ĭross-sectional studies have shown that the average time of use for a fitness tracker is just 6 months before users ditch them. The excitement in how many steps you take in a given day is terrifyingly ludicrous.

If you’re old enough to recall the first-generation iPod, or as I like to call it, “the brick” Apple advertised it using the tagline '1,000 songs in your pocket.' Who knew that just 10 years later, 1,000 songs would be negligible, because your whole life would be in your pocket?įitness trackers like FitBit, Garmin, and Whoop have taken the world of fitness and turned energy output into an infatuation amongst gym-goers and type-A personalities. People have become obsessed with data and technology.

Whoop calorie tracker accuracy