REACH YOUR PEAK

Boost your performance in the saddle with the latest sports science and tech findings

01 Worth wearing?

Do you swear by your smart watch? This is the technological age, which means most of us are fed data and numbers with every ride and sleep. Manufacturers proclaim these wearables will transform the most casual of cyclists into a peak performer by maximising each and every session, each and every day. Which is all well and good, of course, but have you ever asked yourself, how accurate is this data? That was the question posed by a team led by Ren-Jay Shei (and featured in the European Journal of Applied Physiology), who analysed many years' worth of literature on the subject. It's a fascinating insight into the efficacy of what many have come to rely on. Here's what they discovered:

VO₂ max feature

This requires improvement. Data compared five commercially available wrist-worn devices against respiratory gas analysis and found a mean percentage error of over 10% for the majority of devices. This is our recent experience with the Garmin Fenix 7, which is a training tool that costs over £500. Greater individualisation's required, say the researchers.

Heart rate

This might not surprise those of you who enjoy the occasional run to complement your bike training (as per Tour riders Primož Roglič, Mike Woods...) but wrist-based readings fluctuate as intensity increases. It's why heart rate variability readings can also be out, the researchers add. A chest strap is more consistent and more accurate.

●Sleep Again, results were inconsistent, with the researchers citing a 2021 study that stated "unstandardised, undisclosed and often unvalidated data outcomes and algorithms are among the main challenges".