Your smartwatch may be lying about your health

Smartwatches are great for keeping track of your health, but a recent review study reveals why we should not rely on them get an overview of our fitness.

Generally, expensive smartwatches are better than budget ones when it comes to health tracking. (Express Photo)

The smartwatch segment has exploded in the last few years, with millions of people now wearing a health-tracking device on their wrists. Not only do these wearables replace some functionalities that were limited to smartphones, they also offer an insight into various health metrics like sleep quality, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, step count and even blood pressure levels.

While it has always been understood that wearables are not a substitute for medical devices, a recent umbrella review underlined the limitations of these devices, indicating that the statistics they record are often prone to errors.

The review found that most wearable devices on the market can measure heart rate with an error rate of 3 per cent and track heart rate variability and potential signs of arrhythmia in the same error range. They also provide accurate insights into cardiorespiratory fitness, often referred to as VO2 Max.

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However, the calorie data recorded by smartwatches is far less accurate, with inaccuracies ranging from 15 to 21 per cent. Since it is one of the most used metrics for those looking to lose weight, the incorrect data might have some negative implications.

If you are using wearables to keep track of your sleep, the review found out that smartwatches are inaccurate by 10 per cent when tracking sleep time and efficiency, meaning you should not trust them fully to track your sleep but instead use them to build better habits or get a general overview.

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