WomensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex & Love
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Women In Sport
  • Podcasts
  • Video
WomensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex & Love
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Women In Sport
  • Podcasts
  • Video
This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack
Watch 0:23

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack

{headline}

{headline}

5 Beauty Products Every Low-Maintenance Girl Needs In Her Gym Bag

5 Beauty Products Every Low-Maintenance Girl Needs In Her Gym Bag

'I Lost More Than 40kgs By Making These Small Changes To My Lifestyle'

'I Lost More Than 40kgs By Making These Small Changes To My Lifestyle'

Brie Larson's First Workout After Quarantine Is The Most Relatable Thing Ever

Brie Larson's First Workout After Quarantine Is The Most Relatable Thing Ever

The Simple At-Home Exercise Kristen Bell Swears By For Sculpted Arms

The Simple At-Home Exercise Kristen Bell Swears By For Sculpted Arms

{headline}

{headline}

7 Hacks That Will Motivate You To Work Out When You Really, Really Don't Want To

7 Hacks That Will Motivate You To Work Out When You Really, Really Don't Want To

Jennifer Aniston Worked Out So Hard She Left A 'Self-Portrait' On Her Yoga Mat

Jennifer Aniston Worked Out So Hard She Left A 'Self-Portrait' On Her Yoga Mat

‘I Lost 7kg of Fat on this Weight Lifting Program'

‘I Lost 7kg of Fat on this Weight Lifting Program'

{headline}

{headline}

Rebel Wilson's Matching Activewear Is Going Straight On Our Lust List

Rebel Wilson's Matching Activewear Is Going Straight On Our Lust List

Kaley Cuoco’s Butt Workout Has Us Sweating In Sympathy

Kaley Cuoco’s Butt Workout Has Us Sweating In Sympathy

Rebel Wilson Credits Her Weight Loss To The Mayr Method - But What Is That Exactly?

Rebel Wilson Credits Her Weight Loss To The Mayr Method - But What Is That Exactly?

Serena Williams' TikTok Workout Will Have You Sweating In Seconds

Serena Williams' TikTok Workout Will Have You Sweating In Seconds

This Foam Roller Full Body Workout Will Tone You Up Tout Suite

This Foam Roller Full Body Workout Will Tone You Up Tout Suite

4 Ways To Track Progress Without Using A Scale

4 Ways To Track Progress Without Using A Scale

At-Home Workout Mistakes Kayla Itsines Sees A *Lot*

At-Home Workout Mistakes Kayla Itsines Sees A *Lot*

  1. Home
  2. Fitness

Why You Shouldn’t Always Trust Your Fitness Tracker

This news could change the way you exercise. - by Lauren Williamson
  • 05 Jun 2017
Why You Shouldn’t Always Trust Your Fitness Tracker
Getty Images

Seeing how many calories you’re burning off can be a major motivator when it comes to slogging it out in the gym, but a recent study has found that many popular fitness trackers could be way off with their calculations.

Researchers from Stanford University tested seven different devices – Apple Watch, Basis Peak, Fitbit Surge, Microsoft Band, Mio Alpha 2, PulseOn, and the Samsung Gear S2 – on 31 women and 29 men. The experiment compared the energy expenditure determined by the trackers in comparison to ‘gold-standard clinical measures’.

They found that the most accurate device was the Fitbit Surge, but it was still off by an average of 27.4 per cent. The PulseOn's average error was a whopping 92.6 per cent.

...
Getty Images

Co-author of the study, Dr. Euan Ashley, told the Guardian that each tracker uses its own proprietary algorithm to figure out how many calories are being burned.

"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,” Ashley told the publication.

NPR reports that Fitbit and PulseOn remain confident with the performance of their technology. In a statement PulseOn suggested that the authors may not have set all the user parameters on the device correctly leading to the high error average.

So while it’s great to keep an eye on your daily steps and strive to slay those calories, Ashley says you probably shouldn’t be basing your decision to have a doughnut on a device.  

RELATED: This Fitness Blogger Just Dropped A Huge Truth Bomb About Bloating

Subscribe Now-6 Issues just $39

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Subscribe Now-6 Issues just $39

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Recommended to you

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack
Watch 0:23

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack

{headline}

{headline}

5 Beauty Products Every Low-Maintenance Girl Needs In Her Gym Bag

5 Beauty Products Every Low-Maintenance Girl Needs In Her Gym Bag

'I Lost More Than 40kgs By Making These Small Changes To My Lifestyle'

'I Lost More Than 40kgs By Making These Small Changes To My Lifestyle'

Brie Larson's First Workout After Quarantine Is The Most Relatable Thing Ever

Brie Larson's First Workout After Quarantine Is The Most Relatable Thing Ever

The Simple At-Home Exercise Kristen Bell Swears By For Sculpted Arms

The Simple At-Home Exercise Kristen Bell Swears By For Sculpted Arms

{headline}

{headline}

7 Hacks That Will Motivate You To Work Out When You Really, Really Don't Want To

7 Hacks That Will Motivate You To Work Out When You Really, Really Don't Want To

Jennifer Aniston Worked Out So Hard She Left A 'Self-Portrait' On Her Yoga Mat

Jennifer Aniston Worked Out So Hard She Left A 'Self-Portrait' On Her Yoga Mat

‘I Lost 7kg of Fat on this Weight Lifting Program'

‘I Lost 7kg of Fat on this Weight Lifting Program'

{headline}

{headline}

Rebel Wilson's Matching Activewear Is Going Straight On Our Lust List

Rebel Wilson's Matching Activewear Is Going Straight On Our Lust List

Kaley Cuoco’s Butt Workout Has Us Sweating In Sympathy

Kaley Cuoco’s Butt Workout Has Us Sweating In Sympathy

Rebel Wilson Credits Her Weight Loss To The Mayr Method - But What Is That Exactly?

Rebel Wilson Credits Her Weight Loss To The Mayr Method - But What Is That Exactly?

Serena Williams' TikTok Workout Will Have You Sweating In Seconds

Serena Williams' TikTok Workout Will Have You Sweating In Seconds

This Foam Roller Full Body Workout Will Tone You Up Tout Suite

This Foam Roller Full Body Workout Will Tone You Up Tout Suite

4 Ways To Track Progress Without Using A Scale

4 Ways To Track Progress Without Using A Scale

At-Home Workout Mistakes Kayla Itsines Sees A *Lot*

At-Home Workout Mistakes Kayla Itsines Sees A *Lot*

WomensHealth
  • About Paragon Media
  • Contact Paragon Media
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • About Paragon Media
  • Contact Paragon Media
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

Brands

Our Network

  • Paragon Media Pty Ltd
  • Men’s Health
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe Now-6 Issues just $39

Shop This Offer
Subscribe Now