Cardio fitness score suddenly dropped

[Notfrench]

I am a religious user of my fitbit charge 2, and I noticed recently that my cardio fitness score had dropped like 6-8 points. 

I have been frustrated with my score because it has not changed in the several months since I first set it. Now, it's even telling me you go on a 10 minute run to set my score like it did when  first bought my device. 

My theory is that the app has trouble calculating my score because my workouts are typically playing pick-up basketball or taking fitness classes - I rarely go on runs that I track with GPS.  Improving my cardio score has been a goal, but not seeing any changes, then seeing it abruptly drop, has been frustrating. Has anyone else experienced this issue?

[Dubsy-]

Hi sorry I’m late to this discussion....

would a 10min run with GPS on a treadmill be ok?? as I have a treadmill at home and do all my running on that??

many thanks

[EssexHebridean]

If using a treadmill make sure you set your tracker specifically to treadmill - if you try to use GPS in standard run mode it will drop your score even further! 

[Dubsy-]

Nice one mate, cheers for the info and swift response. Much obliged 😄👍🏽👍🏽

[Kimi9]

Hi Marco,

I've been having the same problem for over a month now. I went from having very good to excellent Cardio Fitness Level to 27 and my exercise routine has not changed. Furthermore, my level used to hover between 35 to 40 or so, going up and down every few days, but since I started having this problem it has not moved from 27.

Clearly, I'm not the only one having this problem. I don't see the point of including this type of score in the app if it's really only supposed to apply to people to run distances, particularly since my Fitbit is supposed to track other activities such as elliptical workouts, weight lifting, etc.

It's frustrating because I use your device to gauge my fitness in a variety of ways, one of which is telling  me my cardio fitness level is only "fair" and I need to exercise harder or longer. I'd really like to see this problem get fixed.

Kimi9

[Shazza16]

Well there’s a surprise, another update and magically my cardio score has gone back to where it was again! Yet FitBit insist it wasn’t them in the first place. 

I suppose thanks should be given for sorting it out, but I’m getting rather fed up with FitBit denying all knowledge of obvious mistakes they make with their updates, this is not the first and I doubt it will be the last. Why are these constant updates not tested out first? 

[Nomadicrunner]

I am glad that this happened and I googled and found a whole host of people having the same problem. My heart rate which was from very good to excellent suddenly dropped to good after my GPS run this evening. This happened in the past too. I think it is ridiculous to delete my run to get it back up to excellent. And yes, I wear it to sleep to. Though I love Fitbit, it shows how inaccurate how these devices are or can be. Oh well, this gives me all the push I need to consider alternatives. Good bye maybe Fitbit sir!

[Luroc]

Wow. My cardio score just went from a 42-44 range, "excellent" down to 28, "average." No treadmill runs in the last week of anything else unusual. My BMI is still low, my resting heart rate is still 57-59... this is absolutely bizarre.

[Nomadicrunner]

It is bizarre right? But strange for you that you did not do anything unusual like selecting a GPS run. I am still resisting the urge to delete my run to get the score back up to excellent. 

[inescroft]

I've been having the same issue. My fitbit almost 2 years ago was showing a very good score. Then I started running, then I did my first half marathon, then i did another 4, then i started doing crossfit everyday and ran a marathon. And now my score is average. 

[Nomadicrunner]

Yah, I have kind of given up my Fitbit after about two years of wearing it. I think that there is value as it gives us some kind of indication of where we are physically. I have always been healthy as an Ox so I wonder how it is helpful. Still, there is some value of it in terms of the the data it gives such as heart rates and sleep patterns. Let us not forget that they may not have the precision of medical equipments. Having the data such as the heart rate and sleep patterns is one thing but the interpretation of the data is another. Fitbit tries to give an interpretation of the data based on some algorithms (I am making an educated guess), but an interpretation is just that, an interpretation. Finally, I do think that we know our body best and should make an effort for a continual conscious, active, and participative awareness of our bodies, including how we pray, contemplate, work, exercise, eat, and sleep. Having done all that, and if Fitbit helpful, then go ahead. I gifted my bother and sister-in-law Fitbit Charge 2 last year because I felt it might be helpful for them. However, it is another thing to let Fitbit does all that work that we are supposed to put in, and in some ways, allow it to be a defining feature for us on what our bodies is about. Good luck fellow jogger. Take care of your knees and do not forget to stretch!

[Nakia13]

My cardio score dropped from 40-44 to 19 within a week. I took some advice someone else on here suggested and I looked at my automatically logged activity. Some of it involved running I did either on a treadmill or with poor GPS signal, so my fitbit underestimated my distance. I deleted these workouts (unfortunately I couldn't find a way to just remove the GPS from the log) and my score went back up to 40-44. If having the low score bothers you more than deleting these workouts would, I recommend starting there. In the future I will make sure I am selecting the "Treadmill" option when I am starting my workouts! 

[Nomadicrunner]

yah, that will work. Good luck and press on... it is good to be healthy and as a bonus... fit 🙂

[MarcoGFitbit]

Hello everyone, I hope you're doing well. 

I appreciate your participation in the Forums and for sharing your experience with the Cardio Fitness feature. At this moment I'll make sure to forward the information you have provided to our team so they can take a better look at this situation. Once we have more to share with you about this situation, we'll make sure to post it here in the official Forums. 

Thanks for your patience and understanding, I hope you have a great day!

[Janeyjazz123]

I’ve had the same issues gone from fitness rating of 42 to 35 every time I run it drops and I run regularly 3/4 times a week 6 mile to 10miles, and just changed from a charge 2 to a versa, seems like quite a few people having same problem.

[medex]

Same thing here!  Was 34 (excellent) for my age, went down a little (Increase HR, less indoor runs).  Upgraded app and now dropped to barely in good range?!?!

[GaryRydz]

If it dropped after your GPS run then i suggest the drop is a more accurate reflection. If you use GPS the results are more accurate.

[Nomadicrunner]

Actually, that may not be the case. The GPS run may not take into account gradients or traffic in a run, and I feel that there is a difference in results when one is running on a hilly road, a treadmill, or a standard flat surface on a field. Try turning on the gps run while on a treadmill, and it may show significantly better results I think. It has been a while for me. But I remind again, that these are not accurate nor medical devices. They may be based on algorithms which comes from a postulated theory of the body. For example, while my medical check up mid last year reveals excellent heart condition, the Fitbit device states otherwise. Also, the device should also take into account the totality of the condition of a person, whether she is on the track field or not, not just during a run. It should take into account sleeping, waking, daily routine, normal, or intensive exercise, which I submit that good as a Fitbit may be, are not able to account for all that. Finally, it is not the device which should determined if we are living a healthy lifestyle but can be complementary to it. There is a feel and sense of freedom to being healthy and light, that no devices can give. If we feel something is off, go see a doctor, and a health lifestyle should also include regular or annual medical check up. I gave up on Fitbit since last year. Maybe I will try our the Charge 3 again. I gifted my brother in law and sister in law with Fitbit and if nothing else, they found that it motivates them to exercise. My brother also like other stuffs like it gives a theory of sleep pattern and all that. I do believe that if we will arrive one day with devices that gives a sense of a holistic picture of our physical well-being [albeit, with a certain loss of privacy]. Still, they are always complementary and never definitive.

— Nomadic Runner [paused] until exams —

[GaryRydz]

It takes into account everthing from sleeping to different type of exercise. My response was to someone else who's score suddenly dropped after her first GPS run.

The cardio level is just a simple approximate of your VO2 Max. I have a resting heart rate of around 66 to 70 (age 37) and i run 3/4 times per week. My average heart rate while running 8 minute miles ranges from 120 to 150 BPM and my recovery rate is excellent. My cardio score is 57. 

[Nomadicrunner]

Unless you are working for Fitbit, agree to disagree? I mean we do not know really the context of the said runner and it is not a supercomputer we have on our wrist. I maintained that these are very limited devices. And I do think comparing who is a better runner is helpful to the argument but if you insist, sureeeee [accompanied with eye-roll].

[GaryRydz]

Read the full information on what is measured and how. It is a simple VO2 Max estimate so if you understand how that is calculated in a lab environment you will understand the type of info the Fitbit device captures to make the estimate.  All it is is how effective your body is on processing oxygen.