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How is my Cardio Fitness score so high?

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I'm not trying to brag, but my Cardio Fitness score seems way too high.

I started running two months ago, and I could only run for a mile and half before being exhausted.  I knew I had to build endurance.  In the beginning of this month I bought the Charge 2 to really track my progress, and I discover the app has a cardio fitness score.  My score is already above 55, excellent for a man of my age.  How is it so high when I was never really athletic until two months ago?  Also, I can now run 3.4 miles for 30 minutes.

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It seems from what I'm reading here that the score is heavily weighted on what you heart rate is and not your running pace, how many active minutes you get per day, avg steps per day, etc.  Unless you are a trained athlete (or at least feel you're in 'great shape for your age'), I don't think having a low heart rate means anything - except maybe could actually indicate you're headed for trouble down the road.  I'm NOT referring to anyone on this thread, FTR.  I remember on a pre-diabetes board a woman in her 50s-60s was 'bragging' about being 'blessed' with a low heart rate her whole life.  She didn't look fit (was slightly overweight) and I believe she was not at all in cardiovascular shape.  OK I'm assuming, I know - but you can imagine a LOT of people out there like this woman:  Doesn't exercise, has low heart rate, thinks that means she's 'blessed' and somehow an indicator that her heart is extra healthy.  I don't think it means ANYTHING at all like that.  https://myheart.net/articles/low-heart-rate-bradycardia-explained-by-a-heart-doctor/

 

Yes, I still want to raise my cardio score and even start doing more high-intensity stuff to try to get my resting heart rate lower (though I'm NOT giving up my coffee in order to get that, lol).  But I take the score with a grain of salt.  I will do one of those other running tests this summer - would be fun. 

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I did use my FitBit to track might time and distance.  I ran on an 800 meter track, which is my usual running spot, so I feel like that and the GPS tracking is pretty accurate.  My cardio score hasn't changed, so I'll see if it changes as I continue to exercise.

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When Cardio Fitness was released on the Blaze it had my estimate at 44-47 which shoots me off the chart for a person going onto 78. My RHR was 50-51 back then. It's now Winter and my RHR has gone to 52-53 and Cardio Fitness dropped a point to be 43-46.  Still above excellent... I'm definitely born with the Vo2max and still trying to use my Fitbit to reflect in that result...

 

After reading all of Fitbit's information on Vo2max, RHR and Cardio Fitness... all they say is that "we should see a more a precise estimate".  Just the word precise added to the description, whether we see the word precise appear only time will tell...

 

I was up country last week where it was -1oC in the morning. Having to sleep under a doona, normally woolen blankets in Melbourne and my RHR crept up again,  In the image below you can see the environmental and bodily affect.  No change to Cardio Fitness

 

RHR 3 months to 4jun17.jpg

 

 

Colin:Victoria, Australia
Ionic (OS 4.2.1, 27.72.1.15), Android App 3.45.1, Premium, Phone Sony Xperia XA2, Android 9.0
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I have the same problem. I never work out and still have excellent resultat for my age. Very strange!?

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@MorrisFranWelcome.... Some of us a genetically born that way.. My cardio range is still high at 42-46.. I still wear the tracker 24/7 and I have been plotting my RHR against my average sleeping HR because Fitbit stress that, and, because my relief GP stuffed up with my BP meds.. I'm pre-hypertensive.  Here are the results

 

sleep HR 9may18.jpg

 

 

Colin:Victoria, Australia
Ionic (OS 4.2.1, 27.72.1.15), Android App 3.45.1, Premium, Phone Sony Xperia XA2, Android 9.0
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@MorrisFran wrote:

I have the same problem. I never work out and still have excellent resultat for my age. Very strange!?


One thing to keep in mind is the "excellent for ... your age" range (green bar) is really wide on the Fitbit scale. Having a relatively low resting HR (e.g. sub-60) and being in the normal weight range (as per BMI) may be all it takes to have an "excellent for your age" cardio fitness score.

 

Case in point: my score is currently 54-58, which is deemed "excellent for men my age" (I’m 57). I have hardly be doing any intense cardio activity lately (been focused more on weight training). I’ve gained (on purpose) about 2 kg in the past two months and my resting HR has been going up from the mid 50’s to the lower 60’s. Back then (two months ago), my cardio fitness score was 60-64. So it’s down (because of the weight gain and increased resting HR), but still labelled as "excellent". I’m sure I could gain yet more weight and have my resting HR go further up, but still remain in the "excellent" categogy (though maybe with a score in the low 50’s or high 40’s.

 

In other words, follow how your cardio fitness score evolves over time, as there are many shades of "excellent". Unfortunately, Fitbit doesn’t keep track of the score over time, so you’ll have to make mental notes of it, or write it down somewhere every now and then.

Dominique | Finland

Ionic, Aria, Flyer, TrendWeight | Windows 7, OS X 10.13.5 | Motorola Moto G6 (Android 9), iPad Air (iOS 12.4.4)

Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.

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@sfurry wrote:

I did use my FitBit to track might time and distance.  I ran on an 800 meter track, which is my usual running spot, so I feel like that and the GPS tracking is pretty accurate.  My cardio score hasn't changed, so I'll see if it changes as I continue to exercise.


Fitbit's have always given me much higher fitness scores than I actually am at.

 

I'm 60, and I think my fastest mile time ever was about 10:30 min/mi.

 

Fitbit gives me a fitness score of 43 or 44 (i think this is much too high).

 

I also have a Garmin fenix 5, and that gives me a VO2max of 36 or 37 (i think this is much closer to my actual fitness level).

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On using the Run option on a treadmill, Fitbit uses the GPS to measure the length of the run, thinks we have barely moved while the heart rate is high and lowers our fitness score! Luckily, the score appears to be a moving average, and the poorly recorded run eventually gets out of the final score. 

 

One way to avoid this is to use the Treadmill option instead of Run. Fitbit appears to ignore manually entered treadmill readings for the score. 

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Hi,

I find that when running on a treadmill you have to put the fitbit on your ankle. I'm thinking you don't move your arms as much! Same thing if you run pushing a stroller you can go 5 miles and it won't even be a mile on the fitbit! 

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I'm 74 athletic my whole life but stopped running 5 years ago.  I cycle 30-45 (3 per week) minutes (heart rate 135-45) and swim and of-course walk.  My score is 47-51 and my resting heart rate ranges fro 49-55.  I do believe the genetic influence in ones score.  Often when I competed in tri's I would wake up with a heart rate under 40.  I was never a serious trainer (5-8 hrs. Per week) while many of my age group competitors did 2 times more.  Genetics are the driving factor would be my belief.  I have noticed that my resting heart rate goes up as a factor of beer consumption.

mike

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Hey I’ve had precisely the same issue- I used to be a pretty good runner: half marathon in 91mins, 10k in 40 and 5k in 19.30. Then I stopped doing sports for 4 years and now aged 40 decided to get back into it. It’s bloody hard work! And my pace has dropped right down- my best 5k now is now around 28 mins. And yet despite this according to my fitbit my vo2max is 55 which is excellent for my age?! I just don’t believe it. I did a Cooper’s test and was only able to do around 2.4k which is a vo2max of around 44 I believe. So anyway, I’m slightly sceptical about the high score I’m getting too.

 

cheers

 

Dan

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Thankyou for your reply. It’s to good to be true.
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Hi everyone again... I did the Rockport test to give me some correlation and I was happy with the result comparatively. 

 

Some of us are genetically designed and I'm 80 next year, overweight, sleep well, eat home cooked meals and you can see my results in earlier posts..

 

I have purchased 3rd party HRV and Sp02 devices, because Fitbit haven't told us anything yet.. These tests all support the Cardio Result on Fitbit.. My cardio has dropped to 41-45 with the Ionic..

 

One of my GP's, 40 years ago and long gone... told me I was built for endurance, not a burst human..Smiley Happy

 

 

Colin:Victoria, Australia
Ionic (OS 4.2.1, 27.72.1.15), Android App 3.45.1, Premium, Phone Sony Xperia XA2, Android 9.0
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Hi, just starting to use a fitbit charge 2 and am loving it. I have a heart health score of 95 to 98 ! Is this even possible? My partner has also just started using one and her score is 48.  Has anyone else got a score like this is is there something wrong with my device ? 

 

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That would put you well above the following athletes (source ) :

 

vo2-max-elite-athletes.jpg

Dominique | Finland

Ionic, Aria, Flyer, TrendWeight | Windows 7, OS X 10.13.5 | Motorola Moto G6 (Android 9), iPad Air (iOS 12.4.4)

Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.

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@richrobdent If you're seeing a range "95 to 98" then that is not an accurate score.  You'll need to do a GPS-connected run for at least 10 minutes to get an accurate cardio score.  Once you do this, you'll then get a solid score, like 85.

 

Here is a link to the Help Article explaining your cardio fitness score.

 

HOW DO I GET A MORE PRECISE ESTIMATE OF MY SCORE?

If your Fitbit device connects to GPS, we can provide a more precise estimate of your score using the relationship between pace and heart rate during your runs. This is because individuals with higher VO2 Max have a lower heart rate while running at the same pace compared to individuals with lower VO2 Max. If you're able to run at a comfortable pace for at least 10 minutes, track a run with GPS. We recommend running on flat terrain as much as possible since only the flat sections of your run count towards your score estimate. You may need to go on several runs that are at least 10 minutes in length to affect your score.

 

A lot of other things affect the score, like age, BMI, weight, resting heart rate, etc. But the best way to get a more accurate estimate is to go for a 10 minute run using your Charge 2 and your phone's GPS.

Heather | Community Council | Eastern Shore, AL
Want to discuss ways to increase your activity? Visit Get Moving in the Lifestyle Discussion Forum.
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@richrobdent : I would also check your personal data (e.g. weight) is correct in your account.

Dominique | Finland

Ionic, Aria, Flyer, TrendWeight | Windows 7, OS X 10.13.5 | Motorola Moto G6 (Android 9), iPad Air (iOS 12.4.4)

Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.

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I score at 52-54 train regularly and am quite fit. My brother-in-law score above 55 and is sedentary with heart problems over weight and the same age. It appears he scores that high due ONLY to a low resting heart rate a function of his bad heart. The rating it appears to be only useful as a base line for your training.
Mike

Sent from my iPad
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Thanks for that Mike, clearly I am not superman then !

Rich


Get Outlook for Android
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7 Months on from my previous post.. 

 

RHR 50, and cardio score has gone up 2 points, now 43-47, Weight down 2.5 KG..  Average sleep HR is 53, so, I agree with Mike... A baseline for your Fitness level..

 

@richrobdent  It will of interest when you post us in a few weeks..

Colin:Victoria, Australia
Ionic (OS 4.2.1, 27.72.1.15), Android App 3.45.1, Premium, Phone Sony Xperia XA2, Android 9.0
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