US — TechCrunch
Oura adds new fitness metrics to show how workouts impact your body
Devices1 min read
Oura, a maker of smart rings, is adding two new workout features. They show how hard a workout is on the heart and how fitness changes over time.
What happened
Oura announced new workout tracking tools called Cardio Effort and VO₂ max. The company says they go beyond just counting exercise minutes and heart rate zones. Cardio Effort shows how much a workout strains your heart and blood system. VO₂ max shows how your fitness is changing over time.
Key facts
- Cardio Effort has two parts: one for each workout and one weekly total.
- Weekly Cardio Effort levels are: Light, Fair, Maintaining, Building, or Reaching.
- Cardio Effort works on Oura Ring Gen3 and newer models.
- VO₂ max needs five qualifying workouts with GPS before the first estimate appears.
- VO₂ max fitness categories are: Low, Fair, High, or Peak.
Why Oura is adding these
Oura has led the smart ring market for years. Now rivals like RingConn and Ultrahuman are trying to take its place. New features help Oura stand out and keep customers interested.
Why it matters
These features aim to answer a better question: not just how long you moved, but whether your workouts are keeping you fit, building fitness, or pushing too hard. A short, hard workout and a long, easy one can count the same. VO₂ max can now be estimated without a lab test.
What to watch
- Whether users find the Cardio Effort levels useful and accurate.
- How well the VO₂ max estimate matches lab test results.
- Whether Oura moves VO₂ max out of Oura Labs into the main app.
- How RingConn and Ultrahuman respond with their own features.
Glossary
- Oura
- A company that makes smart rings that track sleep, activity, and health.
- Cardio Effort
- A score that shows how much a workout strains your heart and blood system, using your personal resting heart rate as a baseline.
- VO₂ max
- A measure of how well your heart, lungs, and muscles use oxygen during exercise. It is a common sign of fitness.
- Oura Labs
- Oura's test area where new features are tried before they are fully released.
- RingConn
- A smart ring company that competes with Oura.
- Ultrahuman
- A smart ring company that competes with Oura.