Thanks: 0
Recommend: 0
Likes: 0
Thread: Fitness Trackers Accuracy
-
02-20-2019, 09:13 AM #1
- Join Date
- Aug 2016
- Location
- Kentucky
- Posts
- 5,663
- Rep Power
- 2147489318
Fitness Trackers Accuracy
Wearable fitness trackers are becoming increasingly popular as a means of tracking physical activity, heart rate and even sleep patterns, but studies show some surprising facts about the reliability of these devices.
.
A review of 22 studies on fitness trackers found that step counting was most reliable, while using the devices to measure energy expenditure and sleep was less reliable. Another study on seven healthy subjects compared various brands of fitness trackers, with repeated experiments of walking, jogging on a treadmill and walking up/down stairs.
.
Average accuracy for steps counted in these activities was 97.2% (varying from 92.4 - 99.9%), average repeatability was less impressive at 0.79 (varying from 0.55 - 0.89). When comparing with energy expenditure measured by a portable metabolic response breathing device, there was on average 10-15% error in energy expenditure estimation.
.
For sleep tracking, studies on adolescents shows good agreements with polysomnography for certain devices. Heart rate monitoring becomes less accurate during vigorous activity.
Thus it is difficult to say whether a certain device is reliable or not, since they all use varying hardware and software algorithms to make estimations. A trial investigating the effects of fitness trackers on dieting found that a group given fitness trackers lost LESS weight compared to a group who just tracked their results on a computer.
.
Therefore you should be very skeptical to the numbers collected from your fitness tracker, but you can always use RELATIVE changes in the numbers to assess if you are more or less active than usual.
Similar Threads
-
Meg White Fitness Routine IFBB World Fitness Championships 2015 Budapest Hungary
By jimbosmith316 in forum FitnessReplies: 1Last Post: 08-20-2016, 01:56 PM -
SAMANTHA PAPARO NQ NPC Fitness Model:Plans/Training Programs for a profesional Female Fitness Model
By jimbosmith316 in forum FitnessReplies: 1Last Post: 07-28-2016, 06:53 PM -
2016 EUROPEAN BODYBUILDING AND FITNESS CHAMPIONSHIPS: Bikini Fitness Preview
By Iron Game in forum BikiniReplies: 1Last Post: 05-09-2016, 08:43 AM -
Asses to Die For! 2012 Fitness Classic: bikini fitness
By Presser in forum NPC & IFBB -Contest Dates & Results - Photos & VideoReplies: 20Last Post: 09-27-2012, 01:19 PM -
FITNESS IS FUN
By BIG DAVE in forum Female Fitness ForumReplies: 3Last Post: 08-15-2001, 02:08 AM