Nocebo effect of sports tracking watches?

[ian in lancs]

Recently replaced / upgraded my Garmin 745 to the new 955 and discovered all sorts of bio metrics I didn’t know about before! Genuinely helpful? We’ll see but I found this article that questions the added value of such data

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-12...

What is your experience? Which are the key metrics? Or is it a geeky distraction to the joy of running or whatever?

[Smitters]

Absolutely a factor. A mate and I both agree that when we look at our "body battery" and see it's low and the Garmin reckons we've had poor sleep, we actually start to feel more tired. Not a healthy aspect at all.

[wong]

Always treat the data with a healthy dose of scepticism. You've got two Garmins now. Try wearing both and find that one has ran further/more elevation/ higher heart rate etc. than the other.

[wrencho]

wong said:

Always treat the data with a healthy dose of scepticism. You've got two Garmins now. Try wearing both and find that one has ran further/more elevation/ higher heart rate etc. than the other.

Neither will be accurate. If you want the most accurate way to measure heart rate during exercise you need a chest strap.

[tendown]

I truly believe my forerunner watches have helped me train more effectively and achieve more. The best bit imo is the training load, basically the fitter you want to be the more (and harder) training you need to do, but you don't really want to ramp it up too quick. 7day training load helps keep track of this, especially when split between different sports.

More recently it also determines if your training load split between aerobic, anaerobic etc is balanced, this helps remind me to do more intervals than I would otherwise do.

The other new stuff like training readiness seems about right, but really if you're still feeling done in from yesterday's long run, you should already know not to do another one yet.

As mentioned above, it's all based on heart rate, so check with a chest strap that the watch is capturing the right numbers, often during cycling i find it's not.

So to answer the OP, yes genuinely helpful, I ignore the sleep metrics which seem to be the main criticism, and if you're negatively impacted by what your watch tells you, don't wear it!

Edited by tendown on Monday 27th June 16:26

[wong]

I ran the Gibbet Challenge race yesterday. It's supposed to be 255m of elevation. My Garmin 645 recorded 201m, my friend's Garmin vivoactive recorded 266m.

[smn159]

tendown said:

I truly believe my forerunner watches have helped me train more effectively and achieve more. The best bit imo is the training load, basically the fitter you want to be the more (and harder) training you need to do, but you don't really want to ramp it up too quick. 7day training load helps keep track of this, especially when split between different sports.

More recently it also determines if your training load split between aerobic, anaerobic etc is balanced, this helps remind me to do more intervals than I would otherwise do.

The other new stuff like training readiness seems about right, but really if you're still feeling done in from yesterday's long run, you should already know not to do another one yet.

As mentioned above, it's all based on heart rate, so check with a chest strap that the watch is capturing the right numbers, often during cycling i find it's not.

So to answer the OP, yes genuinely helpful, I ignore the sleep metrics which seem to be the main criticism, and if you're negatively impacted by what your watch tells you, don't wear it!

Edited by tendown on Monday 27th June 16:26

Agree with that. I find the training load / focus stuff genuinely helpful, as are the recovery / readiness to train metrics on the 955.

I guess that it all comes down to how you use the thing and what you want out of it but as a serious training tool the 955 is great.

[take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey]

wong said:

I ran the Gibbet Challenge race yesterday. It's supposed to be 255m of elevation. My Garmin 645 recorded 201m, my friend's Garmin vivoactive recorded 266m.

Well one of you was wrong.

[wong]

take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:

wong said:

I ran the Gibbet Challenge race yesterday. It's supposed to be 255m of elevation. My Garmin 645 recorded 201m, my friend's Garmin vivoactive recorded 266m.

Well one of you was wrong.

Well it's not me.
I'm Wong

[Kawasicki]

wrencho said:

wong said:

Always treat the data with a healthy dose of scepticism. You've got two Garmins now. Try wearing both and find that one has ran further/more elevation/ higher heart rate etc. than the other.

Neither will be accurate. If you want the most accurate way to measure heart rate during exercise you need a chest strap.

Wrist measurement has improved massively of late. Chest straps no longer offer much advantage over the best optical measurements.

[wong]

Kawasicki said:

Wrist measurement has improved massively of late. Chest straps no longer offer much advantage over the best optical measurements.

Just remember to tighten the strap so it's a little uncomfortable.

[smn159]

Kawasicki said:

wrencho said:

wong said:

Always treat the data with a healthy dose of scepticism. You've got two Garmins now. Try wearing both and find that one has ran further/more elevation/ higher heart rate etc. than the other.

Neither will be accurate. If you want the most accurate way to measure heart rate during exercise you need a chest strap.

Wrist measurement has improved massively of late. Chest straps no longer offer much advantage over the best optical measurements.

They are better, but if you're training using heart rate the wrist sensors can still spike if the strap isn't adjusted quite right IME.

You still need a chest strap if your watch can detect your threshold pace using HRV as well.

[Kawasicki]

wong said:

Kawasicki said:

Wrist measurement has improved massively of late. Chest straps no longer offer much advantage over the best optical measurements.

Just remember to tighten the strap so it's a little uncomfortable.

Yes, and buy a light watch.

[take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey]

wong said:

Well it's not me.
I'm Wong

Bloody autocorrect. It was supposed to say wong.

[wong]

take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:

wong said:

Well it's not me.
I'm Wong

Bloody autocorrect. It was supposed to say wong.

[gamefreaks]

I wouldn't place too much value on the metrics they store but if it encourages you to get into the habit of taking a walk in the evening after work then that can only be a good thing.

I like my Apple Watch.

[ian in lancs]

I use chest, arm or the wrist sensor on the watch. Latter being the most inaccurate spiking to.30bpm too high. That distorts MHR HR ranges and so I’ve turned off auto detect.


HRV isn’t clear to me yet what I’m supposed to do with the info!

Training readiness ditto

Sleep is inaccurate- the 955 thinks I’ve had little or no deep sleep while the 745 looks consistently correct. Consequently all the metrics influenced by sleep quality are deteriorated.

The watch decided I was running at 340 watts - surely not!!

Where / which website does the weather come from and what units is the wind speed in when deg c is selected? It doesn’t look right!

Edited by ian in lancs on Monday 27th June 22:10

[smn159]

ian in lancs said:

I use chest, arm or the wrist sensor on the watch. Latter being the most inaccurate spiking to.30bpm too high. That distorts MHR HR ranges and so I’ve turned off auto detect.


HRV isn’t clear to me yet what I’m supposed to do with the info!

Training readiness ditto

Sleep is inaccurate- the 955 thinks I’ve had little or no deep sleep while the 745 looks consistently correct. Consequently all the metrics influenced by sleep quality are deteriorated.

The watch decided I was running at 340 watts - surely not!!

Where / which website does the weather come from and what units is the wind speed in when deg c is selected? It doesn’t look right!

Edited by ian in lancs on Monday 27th June 22:10

HRV is one of the contributors to training readiness - the DC Rainmaker review explains it all

How are you deciding that the 955 is inaccurate for sleep whereas the 745 is accurate?

[ian in lancs]

Drop off and awake times on the 955 are miles out the 955 thinks I have zero ‘deep’ sleep whereas the 745 shows normal durations. I guess it needs to learn me!

[Hoofy]

I've never needed one but if you find it helps keep you motivated then crack on.

My gf has one and swears by it. Frankly, if it means I never have to post in this thread then I'm all for it: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...