Oura adds Cardio Effort and VO₂ max workout metrics

Oura is rolling out two metrics designed to show how workouts affect users’ bodies and fitness over time: Cardio Effort and VO₂ max. The company announced the features on Tuesday. They expand workout tracking beyond exercise duration and heart-rate zones.

Cardio Effort measures how much a workout taxes the cardiovascular system. Oura combines intensity and duration, so a shorter, harder workout can receive a similar score to a longer, less intense one, the company says. The metric includes Workout Cardio Effort for an individual session and Weekly Cardio Effort, which totals effort over a week. Weekly levels are labeled “Light,” “Fair,” “Maintaining,” “Building” or “Reaching.” Oura says it compares elevated heart rate with each member’s long-term resting heart rate and uses personalized ranges based on recent activity. Cardio Effort is rolling out to Oura Ring Gen3 and later models.

VO₂ max estimates how effectively the heart, lungs and muscles deliver and use oxygen during exercise. Oura estimates it passively from GPS-enabled workouts. After five qualifying activities, users receive an initial estimate. In the My Health Heart Hub, they can see the estimate in ml/kg/min, a fitness category—“Low,” “Fair,” “High” or “Peak”—changes over time and the last update. Oura says users will also get insights about meaningful changes or a consistent estimate. VO₂ max is launching in Oura Labs for members with Gen3 and newer rings.

Oura says the features are intended to show both workout effort and how it adds up over time.