[jhokanson]

I thought my Garmin watch already did this and I thought Apple had differentiated itself with some sort of advanced ekg analysis. I feel like I'm missing something with this article? Is this truly different than the competition or just Apple catching up?

[boardwaalk]

The Apple Watch has estimated VO2 max for a while. I think this is just some “gamification” Apple has added.

[8ytecoder]

It's very inaccurate. My estimated Apple VO2Max (based on heart rate alone) is 10 points less that my estimate from Garmin (based on a power meter and heart rate calculation).

[mikestew]

How do you know the Garmin isn’t the inaccurate one? Because it used a power meter? Unless a tube is stuck in your mouth for you to breath through, they are all just “predicted VO2Max”, not measured. I don’t know which is more accurate, but I would hesitate to favor one over another without baseline against a real VO2Max test. However, like a weight scale, as long as it is accurate versus itself it is still a useful number.

EDIT: though you might not be wrong: https://sites.udel.edu/coe-engex/2019/03/16/how-accurate-is-.... Summary: Garmin's algorithm from Firstbeat is pretty darned accurate.

[nradov]

Even for running without a power meter a Garmin device can give you a fairly accurate VO2max estimate if you do an occasional max effort time trial. But it has to be on a flat course: the FirstBeat Analytics algorithm doesn't account for hills. I have had a real VO2max test with a breathing mask on a treadmill and the results were very close.

https://www.firstbeat.com/en/science-and-physiology/fitness-...

[8ytecoder]

I'm aware how VO2Max will be calculated in a lab. But a powermeter is a closer approximation since the effort is captured. In cycling, if you don't have a power meter the estimate would be based on distance and climb and won't factor wind or other external factors.

Also, I know it's definitely greater than the Watch estimate. With a below average cardio I can't bike the distance or climb I do on average. I did 3 metric centuries last year (with climbs over 4000ft each), for example.

[germinalphrase]

How significant is this 10 point difference?

[nradov]

The world record is 96 and most people are around half that, so 10 points is a huge discrepancy.

[calmworm]

This never worked for me.