Don't buy that fitness tracker you have been eyeing for weeks just yet! It might not be accurate and unsafe, and may not help you prolong life, but shorten it.
Ever wondered why an extreme activity does not make your heart rate up? Your body is not the problem, it is your fitness tracker, according to a report from The Verge.
And because of this, you feel there is a need to push yourself harder. What would seem like a tiring workout is not enough for your fitness tracker. The risk is high as you tend to rely on a gadget that does not measure your heart rate correctly.
What you will decide to do, whether to warm up or do an intense workout, is based on your fitness tracker. Of the trackers used in the experiment - Mio Fuse, Fitbit Charge HR, Basis Peak and the Apple Watch - the Apple Watch seemed to be the most accurate, according to the study released by the Jama Cardiology.
Fifty participants joined the study. They wore the fitness trackers and at the same time were connected to an electrocardiogram, a device used to measure the heart rate.
The volunteers exercised on a treadmill, with the speed increasing. The study said that the harder they exercise, the more inaccurate the fitness trackers seemed.
When the exercise gets too intense, Fitbit, one of the fitness trackers used in the study showed underestimation of the heart rate while another one showed overestimation. Apparently, Fitbit was sued earlier this year for their fitness tracker.
Fitbit has been sued by fitness tracker users from California, Wisconsin and Colorado for imprecise heart rate. The company was also sued for a misleading advertisement of their Fitbit Force wristband.
The study showed that Apple Watch was the most accurate as it showed 91 percent concistency with the electrocardiogram. The second most accurate fitness tracker was the Mio with 84 percent. It was followed by the Basis Peak with 83 percent.
