Research: Smartwatches Miscalculate Calorie Burn
A study from Florida International University found that popular smartwatches significantly overestimate calorie burn during exercise. Researchers noted that accuracy varies by brand, with some devices showing errors of up to 25 percent.
Why it matters
Relying on inaccurate fitness tracker data can lead to ineffective weight management strategies and potential health risks for users.
Smartwatches can significantly overestimate how many calories people burn during exercise, and their calorie estimates become less accurate as body fat increases, according to a new Florida International University study. The study was published in PLOS One .
FIU researchers tested four popular fitness trackers - the Apple Watch Series 8, Fitbit Sense 2, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Garmin Forerunner 955 - against clinical-grade laboratory equipment that measured participants' true energy use.
Researchers found typical errors in smartwatch calorie estimates of about 15% to 25%, with averages for the worst-performing watches climbing much higher. Apple was the most accurate. Garmin and Samsung overestimated the most.
That means if a smartwatch says someone burned 500 calories during a workout, the real number could easily be closer to 350. The discrepancy could be especially important for people who use fitness trackers and calorie-burn estimates for weight management.
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