Accuracy study puts fitness bands under the microscope
In response to the recent boom in the wearable technology market, experts have researched the effectiveness of a number of fitness bands, finding the levels of accuracy vary noticeably between devices.
Led by researchers at Iowa State University and published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the study sought to observe the accuracy of eight different activity monitors, with such devices quickly becoming the norm for fitness enthusiasts and those with weight loss goals.
To test the accuracy of the bands, 30 men and 30 women were asked to wear all eight monitors during a 69-minute workout, which included 13 different activities.
These ranged from working at a computer and playing on a Nintendo Wii, through to taking part in running exercises or playing sports like basketball. The recordings were made over the set period of time, as opposed to the individual activities, to best simulate real-world conditions.
To allow for the researchers to test for accuracy, those taking part in the study were also asked to wear a portable metabolic analyser, which recorded metabolic stats related to calorie burn.
The results showed that the majority of the devices provided reasonably accurate estimates, which measured within 10 to 15 per cent of the actual calories burned by each participant.
The research revealed that the BodyMedia FIT was the top performer with a 9.3 per cent error rating, followed by the Fitbit Zip and Fitbit One which came in with 10.1 and 10.4 per cent readings respectively.
The other six models to be measured were the Jawbone Up (12.2 per cent), Actigraph (12.6 per cent), Directlife (12.8 per cent), Nike Fuel Band (13.0 per cent) and Basis Band (23.5 per cent).
“People buy these activity monitors assuming they work, but some of them are not that accurate or have never been tested before. These companies just produce a nice-looking device with a fancy display and people buy it,” said Gregory Welk, a professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University.
“The point that a lot of people miss is that they think these devices will solve their activity problems and make them active on their own. The device can be a nudge or a prompt, but it is not going to make them more active unless they change their behaviour and learn from their experience.”
Such is the importance some businesses are placing on the wearable tech market, sports brand Nike hasestablished its own research and development lab in San Francisco, California to push its offerings forward.
To read Health Club Management editor Kate Cracknell's leader column for the June edition on the latest developments in the fitness tracking app sector, click here.
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