Study Finds Smartwatches Overstate Calorie Burn by 15%-25% in 58-Person Test
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 21
Study Finds Smartwatches Overstate Calorie Burn by 15%-25% in 58-Person Test
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 21
Summary
A new study found smartwatches from Apple, Garmin, Samsung and Fitbit overstated exercise calorie burn by about 15% to 25% versus laboratory metabolic measurements.
Fifty-eight adults wore the devices while cycling through two-minute hard intervals and rest periods, as researchers used face masks and other equipment to measure actual energy expenditure.
Higher-weight participants saw the biggest overestimates, with co-author Ekaterina Oparina saying calorie algorithms may have been built on data from leaner users.
The findings suggest smartwatch calorie counts are better treated as rough guides than precise totals, with researchers advising users to round workout numbers down.