● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsLow impact2 neutral
Oura adds Cardio Effort and automatic VO2 Max features to smart rings
Key points
- Oura added Cardio Effort and automatic VO2 Max features.
- Features are for Oura Ring Gen 3 and newer models with membership.
- Cardio Effort measures cardiovascular strain during exercise.
- Automatic VO2 Max removes the need for a 6-minute walking test.
- Cardio Effort offers five ranges: light, fair, maintaining, building, and reaching.
- Cardio Effort is based on the Training Impulse method.
- VO2 Max was previously called Cardio Capacity in Oura Labs.
- VO2 Max now makes passive estimations on regular GPS-enabled workouts.
New Cardiovascular Tracking Features
Oura has released two new cardiovascular health tracking features for its smart rings: Cardio Effort and automatic VO2 Max. These additions are available for Oura Ring Gen 3 and subsequent models, requiring an active Oura membership for access. The features aim to provide users with a better understanding of how their regular workouts affect their long-term health, offering insights into when to increase or decrease exercise intensity.
Cardio Effort Explained
Cardio Effort measures the cardiovascular system's exertion during exercise, focusing on intensity and duration rather than distance or calories. It provides a plain language evaluation comparing weekly cumulative effort against a personalized baseline. The feature uses a rating scale from Light to Reaching, indicating cardiovascular strain levels and suggesting recovery when appropriate, rather than solely pushing for increased effort.
Automatic VO2 Max Update
The previous VO2 Max tracking, known as Cardio Capacity, required a six-minute walking test for calibration. The new automatic VO2 Max feature, currently in beta via Oura Labs, activates automatically after users complete five qualifying GPS-enabled activities such as walks, runs, or hikes. Once activated, VO2 Max readings, capacity ratings (low, fair, high, peak), and insights on changes over time are available in the Oura app's My Health Heart Hub section.
Impact on Users
These updates provide Oura users with more detailed and less cumbersome ways to monitor their cardiovascular health. By automating VO2 Max measurements and offering nuanced guidance through Cardio Effort, Oura aims to help users optimize their exercise routines and recovery periods based on personalized data.
Updates
- Cardio Effort offers five ranges: light, fair, maintaining, building, and reaching.
- Cardio Effort is based on the Training Impulse method.
- VO2 Max was previously called Cardio Capacity in Oura Labs.
- VO2 Max now makes passive estimations on regular GPS-enabled workouts.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Oura Ring introduced two new fitness features: Cardio Effort, which assesses activity strain, and automatic VO2 Max estimations. These additions expand Oura's health data offerings, bringing its capabilities closer to other wearables like Apple Watch and Fitbit.
Oura introduced two new cardiovascular health tracking features, Cardio Effort and automatic VO2 Max, for its Gen 3 and later smart rings. These features help users understand the impact of workouts on long-term health and provide guidance on exercise intensity and recovery. The new automatic VO2 Max eliminates the need for a manual calibration test.