One of the top health trends, besides cold pressed juices, is none other than fitness trackers. These sleek, colourful arm candies have become the must-have for fitness fans, to make sure they lead a supposedly healthier lifestyle.
According to a new study from Stanford University School of Medicine which was published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine, researchers have found that fitness trackers accurately measure heart rate but not calories burned.
The team used the Apple Watch, Basis Peak, Fitbit Surge, Microsoft Band, Mio Alpha 2, PulseOn, and Samsung Gear S2, strapping them to 60 volunteers, including 31 women and 29 men, who underwent a range of activities such as sitting, walking, running, and cycling.
Data from the trackers was then compared to data taken from “gold standard” medical-grade instruments that calculate how much calories have burned.
In contrast, none of the seven devices measured energy expenditure accurately, the study found. Even the most accurate device was off by an average of 27 percent. And the least accurate was off by 93 percent.
“The heart rate measurements performed far better than we expected,” said Professor Euan Ashley, the study’s senior author. “But the energy expenditure measures were way off the mark. The magnitude of just how bad they were surprised me.”
“People are basing life decisions on the data provided by these devices,” he said, further explained that basing the number of doughnuts you eat on how many calories your device says you burned is a really bad idea.
The study continues with speculation on the reasons why these devices aren’t great at measuring calories.
“My take on this is that it’s very hard to train an algorithm that would be accurate across a wide variety of people because energy expenditure is variable based on someone’s fitness level, height and weight, etc,” said the study’s lead author, graduate student Anna Shcherbina.
Despite arguments that fitness trackers are not accurate in measuring calories burned, they do motivate you to exercise more and get enough sleep. What they provide is a tool for you to record your exercise and sleeping habits, and this is ultimately for users themselves to make use of.
Read also: Research Finds Hookah Smoking Leads to Serious Oral Diseases
– Cover Image: PCMag.com
