(Press-News.org) OXFORD, Miss. – Many Americans rely on their Apple Watches or similar devices each day to count their steps, track workouts, and measure how many calories they burn. But are those wearable devices accurate?
University of Mississippi professor Minsoo Kang and doctoral student Ju-Pil Choe are working to answer that question.
Kang, a professor of sport analytics, and Choe reviewed 56 studies that compared the Apple Watch to trusted reference tools in measuring energy burned, heart rate and step counts.
Data from the National Institutes of Health shows that wearable technology has become increasingly popular across all types of users, from elite athletes to the general population, whether active or sedentary. As early as 2015, about 1 in 8 Americans reported using a wearable activity monitor. By 2019, wearable tech had become the top fitness trend, and the market continues to expand.
"If people are using them to make decisions about their workouts or even medical conditions, the data should be accurate," Choe said. "If the numbers are off, it could lead to confusion, overtraining or even miss health warnings."
The Ole Miss researchers conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate how the device's accuracy varied by age, health status, Apple Watch version and type of physical activity.
The findings showed that Apple Watches are generally accurate when measuring heart rate and step counts. The researchers reported mean absolute percent errors, a standard measure of accuracy, of 4.43% for heart rate and 8.17% for step counts, while the error for energy expenditure rose to 27.96%.
This inaccuracy was observed across all types of users and activities tested, including walking, running, cycling and mixed-intensity workouts.
This inaccuracy was observed across all types of users and activities tested, including walking, running, cycling and mixed-intensity workouts.
The results indicated that Apple Watches can be a good support tool, such as for tracking basic activity after surgery, but they should not replace clinical tools or medical judgment, Kang said.
"These devices are great for keeping track of habits and staying motivated," he said. "But do not take every number as 100% truth, especially the calories.
"Think of it as a helpful guide, not a diagnostic tool. It is useful but not perfect."
The researchers noted that newer models seem to be more accurate.
"While we cannot say every update is a big leap forward, there is a noticeable trend of gradual improvements over time," Choe said. "It shows that Apple is refining the technology over time."
Kang said he hopes this study will help consumers make informed choices about buying and using wearable devices and help manufacturers improve the technology people rely on daily.
"By showing where the weaknesses are, we can help developers get real feedback," he said. "If they know what needs to be fixed, they can design better sensors or algorithms.
"Our findings can guide improvements and help make these devices more useful for both everyday users and health care providers."
END
Study examines how well wearable tech tracks fitness metrics
Researchers assess how well Apple Watch measures calories, heart rate and step counts
2025-06-03
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Dr. Nikolaos Koundouros wins 2025 Tri-Institutional Breakout Award
2025-06-03
Dr. Nikolaos Koundouros, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a 2025 Tri-Institutional Breakout Award for Junior Investigators.
Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and The Rockefeller University present the awards to up to six exceptional investigators each year—at least one from each institution—who are recognized for their notable research achievements, impactful findings and high potential for success as independent investigators. ...
Low vs. High blood pressure avoidance in non-cardiac surgery: Neurocognitive outcomes unchanged
2025-06-03
A large international study has found that two different approaches to managing blood pressure in older adults undergoing non-cardiac surgery, one avoiding low blood pressure (hypotension) and the other high blood pressure (hypertension), lead to similar outcomes in terms of in-hospital delirium and cognitive changes one year after surgery.
The findings were published on June 3 in Annals of Internal Medicine.
The randomized controlled trial, a substudy of the POISE-3 trial, included 2,603 patients across 54 centres in 19 countries undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Participants were 70 years old on ...
Telehealth can improve care for cats with chronic health issues
2025-06-03
Caring for a cat with chronic health conditions can be challenging for all involved, from the process of getting to a veterinary clinic to the stress of being in a strange environment with new smells and animals.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, worked with pet owners across the United States and Canada to determine whether video telehealth visits could help improve care and the home environment for cats with feline degenerative joint disease, commonly referred to as feline arthritis.
The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science, show that video calls where pet owners can ask questions and get non-medical ...
Researchers develop innovative model to study sense of smell
2025-06-03
Using a newly devised, three-dimensional model to study the regeneration of nerve tissue in the nose, researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) and colleagues have discovered that one type of stem cell thought to be dormant may play a more significant role in preserving the sense of smell than originally believed.
Unlike cells in the central nervous system, sensory neurons in the nasal cavity have a remarkable ability to regenerate throughout life despite near constant exposure to the outside ...
Birds may be drinking on the wing, but in moderation
2025-06-03
A new paper published in Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology examines alcohol consumption in avian species.
In “The proof is in the plumage: a method for detecting dietary ethanol exposure in birds by testing for ethyl glucuronide in feathers,” authors Cynthia Y. Wang-Claypool, Ammon Corl, Joseph Jones, Jimmy A. McGuire, Rauri C.K. Bowie and Robert Dudley investigated whether birds that eat sugar-rich foods—like fruit and nectar—might regularly consume alcohol produced by natural fermentation. ...
Collaboration can unlock Australia’s energy transition without sacrificing natural capital
2025-06-03
Decarbonizing Australia’s economy and protecting the country’s most critical natural resources are both possible but will require significant collaboration between energy developers, state and local governments, landowners, and interest groups, according to new research led by Princeton and The University of Queensland.
The research, published May 29 in Nature Sustainability, demonstrates that Australia can fully decarbonize its domestic and energy export economies by 2060 while avoiding harm to important areas for biodiversity outcomes, safeguarding agricultural activities, and respecting Indigenous land rights.
“The amount ...
Study identifies proteins involved in the effectiveness of immunotherapy against blood cancer
2025-06-03
A study conducted by researchers at the Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC) highlights key proteins and signaling pathways involved in the efficacy of immunotherapy based on CAR-T cells (lymphocytes modified in the laboratory to fight cancer).
The CTC is a Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center (RIDC) funded by FAPESP and based at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP) in Brazil.
The research, published in the Journal of Proteome Research, was carried out by John Oluwafemi Teibo, a doctoral student at FMRP-USP and FAPESP scholarship ...
Cannabis extract could treat fungal diseases
2025-06-03
Two cannabis-derived compounds have shown remarkable effectiveness against fungal pathogens in laboratory tests, according to new Macquarie University research.
In a study published in The Journal of Neglected Tropical Diseases (PLOS NTDs), researchers discovered that bioactives Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabidivarin (CBDV) killed harmfulCryptococcus neoformans - a WHO-listed priority fungal pathogen. The compounds also killed dermatophytes that cause common skin infections, and much ...
Pancreatic cancer spreads to liver or lung thanks to this protein
2025-06-03
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Levi.Gadye@ucsf.edu, (415) 502-6397
Subscribe to UCSF News
A protein called PCSK9 determines how pancreatic cancer cells metastasize to different parts of the body.
Scientists at UC San Francisco have discovered how pancreatic cancer cells thrive in the lungs or liver, environments that are as distinct to cells as the ocean and desert are to animals. The spread of cancer cells to organs like these often produces the very first symptoms of pancreatic ...
Eating an array of smaller fish could be nutrient-dense solution to overfishing
2025-06-03
ITHACA, N.Y. - To satisfy the seafood needs of billions of people, offering them access to a more biodiverse array of fish creates opportunities to mix-and-match species to obtain better nutrition from smaller portions of fish.
The right combination of certain species can provide up to 60% more nutrients than if someone ate the same quantity of even a highly nutritious species, according to an analysis by Cornell University researchers.
“This research hopefully highlights the importance of biodiversity, not just because of a moral quandary that we’re causing a mass extinction on Earth, but also because biodiversity can lead to better outcomes ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Researchers use ultrasound holograms to influence brain networks
Unique videos show how trawling restrictions brings back life to the sea
Whooping cough can be fatal in young infants, experts warn
Knee-d for excellence: New regional training hub keeps surgeons sharp for ageing population
The Lancet: Billions lack access to healthy diets as food systems drive climate and health crises, but sustainable, equitable solutions are within reach, says new EAT-Lancet report
Countries with highest reported levels of hearing loss have lowest use of hearing aids
Early medical abortion at home up to 12 weeks is safe, effective, and comparable to hospital care
New approach to gravitational wave detection opens the Milli-Hz Frontier
Rice membrane extracts lithium from brines with greater speed, less waste
Exercise lowers disease risk. This researcher wants to understand how
Hurricane evacuation patterns differ based on where the storm hits
Stem Cell Reports welcomes new members to its Editorial Board
Researchers develop molecular qubits that communicate at telecom frequencies
Mayo Clinic awarded up to $40 million by ARPA-H for pioneering air safety research
People with Down syndrome have early neuroinflammation
CNIO researchers create the “human repairome”, a catalogue of DNA “scars” that will help define personalized cancer treatments
Strengthening biosecurity screening for genes that encode proteins of concern
Global wildfire disasters are growing in frequency and cost
Wildfire management: Reactive response and recovery, or proactive mitigation and prevention
Phosphine detected in the atmosphere of a low-temperature brown dwarf
Scientists develop rapid and scalable platform for in planta directed evolution
New tiny prehistoric fish species unlocks origins of catfish and carp
Plant microbiota: War and peace under the surface
Fossilized ear bones rewrite the history of freshwater fish
Detection of phosphine in a brown dwarf atmosphere raises more questions
USF study: Ancient plankton hint at steadier future for ocean life
MIT researchers find a simple formula could guide the design of faster-charging, longer-lasting batteries
Towards efficient room-temperature fluorine recovery from fluoropolymers
Mapping RNA-protein 'chats' could uncover new treatments for cancer and brain disease
The hidden burden of solitude: How social withdrawal influences the adolescent brain
[Press-News.org] Study examines how well wearable tech tracks fitness metricsResearchers assess how well Apple Watch measures calories, heart rate and step counts