Do Activity Trackers Actually Help Your Workout? The Pros Weigh In

You probably know that your phone is recording the number of steps you take, regardless of whether you asked it to. But the recent revelation that an entire NFL team is recording their sleep patterns, combined with the release of the limited water-resistant Series 2 Apple Watch, is enough to make you wonder how much data you really need from biometric devices. Will slick neon graphs supercharge your workout or can a phone that’s virtually shouting at you block the meditative aspects of a backcountry run, windswept century ride, or bracing open-water swim? Tossing a towel over treadmill graphics or ditching a stopwatch is futile. Now you have to empty your pockets and strip your wrists to truly avoid information overload. Here, fitness pros weigh in on the current state of biometric technology, how it can improve your training, and what to do with the cold hard stats.

How Accurate Are the Numbers?
Increasingly, the information gathered by biometric devices is spot-on according to Dr. Daniel Vigil, associate clinical professor at UCLA and team physician for UCLA’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. He says recent studies pitting digital devices against manual click step counters have shown GPS-driven data on speeds and distances to be quite accurate. Stats you see are based on what you actually did, provided you enter correct baseline numbers for your weight, height, and age (rather than the airbrushed version).

What Stats Are Best to Check?
“Let’s call heart rate, pace, distance, and calories burned the big four,” says Vigil. He finds this data really useful for marathoners and cyclists on 100-mile rides. “Seeing the real-time stats can keep you on pace and help you decide when to replenish calories,” he says. “If you’ve burned 1,000 calories, it’s a good idea to get them back in.” Athletes training in various cardio zones also rely on heart-rate monitors to maintain a specific number of beats per minute throughout a tempo workout. Such sessions can help hone future training plans and boost overall fitness levels.

When Are Numbers Best Avoided?
“Information can be distracting during a short workout,” Vigil says. He recommends checking data post-workout rather than fixating on it in real time and risking rash sprints to momentarily lower numbers. Dr. Jack Lesyk, director of the Ohio Center for Sport Psychology, agrees. “I think there’s a bit of danger in having too much information too soon; it becoming a distraction,” he says. Lesyk favors limiting data to the crude metrics of basic millage per week. But he says this all depends on personality types. A slacker may benefit from instant information while overachievers may become overwhelmed with a plethora of pie charts. “If you start getting too judgmental, you can get stuck on the numbers and overlook the fact that you just worked out for half an hour,” he warns. Lesyk himself tried measuring his own sleep patterns only to become so agitated about the data that he started to lose sleep. So he stopped measuring it, which, he blithely notes, is always an option.

Should You or Shouldn’t You?
“Higher level athletes do rely on numbers,” Lesyk says. They see batting averages and rushing yards recalculated daily, but Lesyk says even pros need to be reminded that there’s always a natural fluctuation in stats. “Often, one day you’re up, the next day you’re down, but on average, you’re okay,” he says. Lesyk worries that everyday athletes caught up in the metrics game fixate on one bad run or slow ride. “Set up a range,” he advises. “Anything in a certain zone can be acceptable, rather than only a certain number.” Sharing stats online is motivating and another good reminder that everyone has both PRs and crap days. Ultimately, for most athletes, such a digital record of training milestones is quite exhilarating; at a minimum it spotlights real achievements rather than farcical #goals.

 

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