{"id":64076,"date":"2024-06-07T15:14:20","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T13:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=64076"},"modified":"2024-06-07T18:03:32","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T16:03:32","slug":"boost-your-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/2024\/06\/07\/boost-your-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"Boost your ride"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
PERFORMANCE Q&A<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Boost your ride<\/h2>\n\n

The big cycling questions answered by our team of expert coaches, nutritionists and riders <\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

01<\/span> HOW ACCURATE IS MY SMARTWATCH?<\/span><\/h4>\n\n
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Train & gain <\/span><\/strong>A smartwatch can provide a wealth of useful data<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

In 2023, the global wearable technology market was valued at $130 billion. This includes fitness and smartwatches. Seen through a sporting lens, they delver a swathe of fitness metrics including your heart rate. This is useful information to guide your training. But are the results accurate? <\/p>\n\n

Wrist-based heart-rate sensors are a more usable and portable option than the traditional chest-strap option. They\u2019ve evolved over the years but, essentially, they follow the same principle of employing optical heart-rate sensors that measure changes in blood volume in the capillary layer that sits just beneath the epidermis, which is the outermost of the three layers that comprise skin.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

As is common in sport, it\u2019s technology first seen in the medical and therapeutic arena that\u2019s been adapted for performance purposes. But whereas studies into the likes of EPO show a consistent, significant (illegal) boost, the same can\u2019t be said of these optical measurements, with a key inaccuracy reported to be skin colour.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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TOP TIP <\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Your body contains tens of thousands of calories in fat stores, meaning an almost inexhaustible supply of energy\u2026 if you can tap into it. Studies show that riding at 70% of your maximum HR is optimum.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

It\u2019s something we put to Pilar Martin-Escudero of Madrid University, an expert in this area. \u201cOne primary inaccuracy source is skin pigmentation,\u201d says Martin-Escudero. \u201c[These devices] operate by shining light through the skin. Melanin, responsible for skin colour, can absorb light at specific wavelengths, complicating readings in individuals with darker skin tones.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

This, says Pilar Martin-Escudero, also applies to the accuracy of watches that measure oxygen saturation. But is this the experience of those in the commercial business? In fact, leading lights such as Garmin are pretty honest with the effectiveness or not of wrist-based optics. Over to Rich Robinson, senior product manager at Garmin UK. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cGarmin watches are designed to work on all skin tones but as the level of melanin increases in the body, the sensor may have to work harder by increasing the light brightness to find a pulse. This can result in the battery level being depleted faster.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n

Robinson suggests it\u2019s the battery rather than the readings that take the hit. But it\u2019s clear that your skin tone impacts performance. This covers tattoos, too, as the ink pattern and saturation of colour can block the light from reaching the sensor. <\/p>\n\n

There is good news when it comes to your erratic epidermis, however, especially for those of us for whom the years are mounting. No matter how expensive your moisturiser, your skin changes with age. That, according to researcher Hsuh-Wen Chow of National Cheng Kung University, means \u201cfine wrinkles, roughness, mottled hyperpigmentation, dilated blood vessels and loss of skin tone\u201d. In addition to age-related changes such as arterial stiffness, Chow and colleagues hypothesised that heart-rate readings would be inaccurate. However, after testing 20 adults over 65 years old and 20 between 20 and 26, they reported readings were \u201cgenerally accurate\u201d irrespective of age. <\/p>\n\n

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$322 BILLION<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The global wearable technology market is predicted to be worth this much by 2028<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Harder, faster, less accurate <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Accuracy isn\u2019t solely about your skin, of course, with one of Pilar Martin-Escudero\u2019s studies examining another anecdotal issue: that the harder you exercise, the less accurate the results. The Spanish academic had subjects run on a treadmill or ride on a cycling ergometer wearing watches from Apple, Fitbit, TomTom and Samsung. They were tested at increasing intensity against the gold-standard ECG (electrocardiogram). <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe four devices were reasonably accurate at the lowest level,\u201d she says. \u201cHowever, at higher levels of exercise intensity, the Fitbit and Samsung tended to underestimate heart-rate values while the TomTom and Apple were fairly reliable.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

When it came to cycling and running, and using the TomTom as an example, it proved more accurate on two wheels than two feet with treadmill skews kicking in from 150bpm compared to around 128bpm. Why comes down to something Martin-Escudero calls \u2018motion artifacts\u2019; when running, you\u2019re not as fixed as you are on the bike. As you run harder, the watch can move, let light in and impact results. <\/p>\n\n

Robinson tell us that their models are equally accurate on the bike and run if the watch stays in the same position, which, of course, isn\u2019t always possible unless you want to create a tourniquet on your forearm. He also highlights that they\u2019re now on their fifth generation of sensor, with more LEDs and \u2018better\u2019 algorithms to iron out the data <\/span>for greater accuracy. Robinson still suggests a heart-rate strap for the \u201cbest accuracy possible\u201d. Which is why you\u2019ll see Tour riders\u2019 saturated tops revealing the contours of chest straps. By measuring the electrical activity of your heart, they\u2019re closer to the ECG standard.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
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TOP TIP <\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Avoid smart training too close to your appliances. \u201cMove away from sources that can interfere with your heart rate monitor,\u201d say Garmin. \u201cThese may include strong electromagnetic fields, some 2.4 GHz wireless sensors, high-voltage power lines, electric motors, ovens, microwave ovens, 2.4 GHz cordless phones and wireless LAN access points.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

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Chest is best <\/span><\/strong>For the best accuracy, go for a heart-rate strap<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

But does this accuracy matter? If you have a busy life and want to maximise every session to unleash your optimum at a major event, then it does. To improve as a cyclist you need to be fast, possess great stamina and generate power. A watch can monitor your intensity of riding to either become a greater fat-burner or to burn through carbs. For instance, 60-70% (zone one) might be about improving the body\u2019s ability to burn fat, while training at 94-100% of maximum HR will boost all-out power. If you\u2019re training harder or easier than your watch is telling you, you could be hitting the zonal middle ground, so you\u2019re not maximising the adaptation you\u2019re after, be it speed, power or stamina. This can impair your progress or lead to overtraining. <\/p>\n\n

James Witts <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Images <\/strong>Getty Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PERFORMANCE Q&A Boost your ride The big cycling questions answered by our team of expert coaches, nutritionists and riders 01 HOW ACCURATE IS MY SMARTWATCH? In 2023, the global wearable technology market was valued at $130 billion. This includes fitness and smartwatches. Seen through a sporting lens, they delver a swathe of fitness metrics including […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":65226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"82","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"82","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_82-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_82-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"Summer-2024","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"Summer-2024","purple_external_id":"Summer-2024-82-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"Summer-2024-82-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000116816||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000116816||","purple_android_product":"com.im.cyclingplus.420","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.cyclingplus.420","purple_ios_product":"com.im.cyclingplus.420","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.cyclingplus.420","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"d6ad2395-23ab-4326-a10d-940b8b948490","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2024-06-07T13:28:07Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"dd981e43-e437-4fe7-b70b-87538050046c","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2024-06-07T16:03:50Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAg==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A3ZgeQ-Q3T-e3C4dTgFAEbA","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\""},"categories":[27],"tags":[14],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/GettyImages_1412431714_preview-scaled.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/GettyImages_1412431714_preview-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/GettyImages_1412431714_preview-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/GettyImages_1412431714_preview-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/GettyImages_1412431714_preview-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/GettyImages_1412431714_preview-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/GettyImages_1412431714_preview-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/GettyImages_1412431714_preview-2048x1366.jpg",2048,1366,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"PERFORMANCE Q&A Boost your ride The big cycling questions answered by our team of expert coaches, nutritionists and riders 01 HOW ACCURATE IS MY SMARTWATCH? In 2023, the global wearable technology market was valued at $130 billion. This includes fitness and smartwatches. Seen through a sporting lens, they delver a swathe of fitness metrics including…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64076"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64076"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64076\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66379,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64076\/revisions\/66379"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}