Nowadays, smart watches and fitness trackers have become very popular, and most users, in addition to being interested in the smart features of these devices, also pay a lot of attention to the statistics that these wearable devices provide about their health status.
But according to a report from Sports Medicine, the purpose of using these wearable devices is to make users aware of their physical condition, and one should not expect very high accuracy, as much as medical data, from them; In other words, due to the accuracy of these wearable devices, they can only be relied on as a warning device and not as an always-on doctor.
Research by the Sports Medicine team shows that most wearable devices can measure heart rate with a 3% error rate and also reliably record heart rate changes and possible signs of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). One of the reasons for the reliability of the heart rate sensors in these gadgets is the ever-increasing progress of the heart rate sensor algorithm; It is interesting to know that this sensor was the first health-oriented sensor that entered the world of smart watches.
Smart watches and bracelets can also provide good estimates of cardiorespiratory fitness, usually displayed on the device as VO2 max. This measure is used to measure a wide range of body and heart conditions, especially for professional athletes. The data of measuring the number of steps are also highly accurate; So that their difference with instantaneous motion measuring devices is about 2%.
On the other hand, the accuracy of calculating the calories burned, which are basically calculated according to heart rate, number of steps and speed, is very low; So that the probability of error in this information is estimated between 15 and 21 percent. This criterion is mostly used for overweight people. Therefore, relying on the correctness of the data of this item in the long run can cause physical damage and in some cases mental damage.
In testing the accuracy of sleep sensor data, the Sports Medicine team found that the accuracy of sleep time information and sleep efficiency differ by more than 10% and sleep delay by 180% compared to polysomnography (sleep test). One of the important reasons for this difference is the complexity of sleep, which changes in the moment; Sometimes a person is in a deep sleep and sometimes in a light sleep; Therefore, it can be very difficult for the small sensors of smart watches to distinguish between being awake and asleep.
In general, although most smart watches, including the Samsung smart watch, Apple smart watch, and other brands continue to improve their algorithms and sensors, all users should keep in mind that the health information published by them is only a warning. And you should not rely on their information about medical aids.
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