Is your smartwatch making you healthier or just more anxious? I unpack the science of health wearables, from the PPG sensors to the "black box" of readiness scores. Discover the surprising inaccuracies in sleep and HRV tracking and learn how to use these tools as a guide for your health and training without letting the data rule your life.

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro

01:01 - How Your Wearable Actually Works (PPG)

03:31 - Why Wearable Accuracy Can Be Flawed

04:48 - What is Heart Rate Variability (HRV)?

05:54 - The Autonomic Nervous System's Role in HRV

07:03 - True HRV vs. Wearable Estimates

08:41 - How is HRV Calculated?

09:41 - What Factors Influence Your HRV?

10:40 - The Truth About Wearable Sleep Tracking

13:19 - Orthosomnia: An Unhealthy Obsession With Perfect Sleep

13:55 - The "Black Box" of Readiness Scores

17:54 - The Power of Subjective Measures

19:34 - How to Use Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

21:25 - Objective vs. Subjective Data: Which Is Better?

23:58 - When Your Data and Feelings Don't Match

26:08 - How to Be Data-Informed, Not Data-Driven

27:42 - A 3-Tiered Hierarchy for Making Decisions

31:27 - My 4 Rules for Using Wearable Data

SELECTED REFERENCES:

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/12/13/2923

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11794680/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383189559_Impact_of_Skin_Pigmentation_on_Pulse_Oximetry_SpO2_and_Wearable_Pulse_Rate_Accuracy_A_Meta-Analysis_Preprint

https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2023.04.054

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8950456/

Disclaimer

This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only. The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition. The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate. Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.