Assessment of Peak Oxygen Uptake with a Smartwatch and its Usefulness for Training of Runners

Peak oxygen uptake (˙VO (2peak) ) is an important factor contributing to running performance. Wearable technology may allow the assessment of ˙VO (2peak) more frequently and on a larger scale. We aim to i) validate the ˙VO (2peak) assessed by a smartwatch (Garmin Forerunner 245), and ii) discuss how this parameter may assist to evaluate and guide training procedures. A total of 23 runners (12 female, 11 male; ˙VO (2peak) : 48.6±6.8 ml∙min (−1) ∙kg (−1) ) visited the laboratory twice to determine their ˙VO (2peak) during a treadmill ramp test. Between laboratory visits, participants wore a smartwatch and performed three outdoor runs to obtain ˙VO (2peak) values provided by the smartwatch. The ˙VO (2peak) obtained by the criterion measure ranged from 38 to 61 ml∙min (−1) ∙kg (−1) . The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between the smartwatch and the criterion ˙VO (2peak) was 5.7%. The criterion measure revealed a coefficient of variation of 4.0% over the VO2peak range from 38–61 ml∙min (−1) ∙kg (−1) . MAPE between the smartwatch and criterion measure was 7.1, 4.1 and −6.2% when analyzing ˙VO (2peak) ranging from 39–45 ml∙min (−1) ∙kg (−1) , 45–55 ml∙min (−1) ∙kg (−1) or 55–61 ml∙min (−1) ∙kg (−1) , respectively.