Last year, Samsung partnered with the University of Michigan, and more specifically the Michigan Performance Research Laboratory (MiPR), to study and improve the accuracy of the measurements provided by its Galaxy watches. Now they are ready to share their findings.
MiPR studies have revealed a strong correlation between data reported by Galaxy Watches and sports science benchmarks when measuring heart rate, body fat percentage, sweat loss, and VO2 max (the latter two features were introduced with One UI 4.1). Here’s the breakdown:
- Heart rate: Probably the most commonly used health feature on a watch, the study showed a 90% correlation with EKG equipment while running (which is trickier than measuring while stationary since the watch is constantly bouncing).
- Body fat percentage: Here, the watches did even better, showing a 95% correlation with the standard diagnostic test of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
- Sweat loss: This is a measure of how much water a runner has lost during their run and is used to guide rehydration afterwards. The watches achieved a 95% correlation in tests over distances ranging from 2.5km to 20km (1.5 to 12 miles).
- VO2 max: This is a measure of how much oxygen the body takes in during a workout. Compared to clinical-grade equipment, the watches achieved an acceptable correlation of 82%.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Samsung to ensure that innovations in wearable technology are accessible and accurate for all segments of the population. HPSSC and MiPR look forward to unveiling these exceptional results that reinforce our commitment to improving heart rate and health monitoring and look forward to future collaborations,” said Kenneth Kozloff, co-director of HPSSC.
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