Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become essential tools for tracking daily activity and workout metrics. However, recent findings indicate that their calorie-tracking precision may be noticeably affected by an individual's body composition.
According to a report from Japan Today, the higher a user's body fat percentage, the less accurate their wearable device is at measuring the calories burned during exercise. This suggests that existing algorithms may struggle to provide reliable estimates across diverse body types.
Most commercial smartwatches estimate energy expenditure by analyzing sensor data, such as heart rate, combined with standard metabolic formulas. Because these calculations often rely on generalized physical baselines, variations in body fat can introduce significant discrepancies during physical activity.
For full details and further insights on the study, be sure to check the original coverage on Japan Today.
