A team of researchers at the University of Quebec in Montreal conducted a study on the accuracy of measurements taken by Apple Watch Series 6 and Polar Vantage V smartwatches, as well as Fitbit Sense. It turned out that the results of calculating the consumption of calories leave much to be desired.
Image Source: Apple
To check the readings, more accurate equipment was used – a Polar H10 chest heart rate monitor and a MetaMax 3B ergospirometer. The study involved 30 healthy men and women aged regarding 25 years.
The results of the study were published in the European Journal of Sports Science, specifically how reliable heart rate and energy expenditure measurements are for all three devices while walking, sitting still, running, cycling and strength training.
Research has found that all three smartwatches, including the Apple Watch 6, do a poor job of measuring calorie consumption during any type of activity. According to scientists, health professionals, athletes/trainers and fitness enthusiasts in general should not consider the readings of these smartwatches when training or calculating nutrition programs. Earlier tests of similar devices were carried out with similar results.
But there is good news for wearable users. Apple Watch Series 6 tracked heart rate fairly accurately during all types of physical activity, while Polar Vantage V and Fitbit Sense were not so accurate – the accuracy depended on the type of activity. Also, all tested devices very accurately counted the steps taken.
If you notice an error, select it with the mouse and press CTRL + ENTER.
