GoKawiilOura adds Cardio Effort and VO₂ max tracking to its smart ring app
Oura announced two new workout metrics rolling out to Ring Gen3 and later models: Cardio Effort, which measures how much a workout taxes the cardiovascular system relative to a user's baseline, and VO₂ max, which estimates how efficiently the heart, lungs and muscles use oxygen during exercise. Cardio Effort is broken into per-workout and weekly totals, with the weekly score categorized from 'Light' to 'Reaching' based on personalized heart-rate ranges.
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The update comes as rivals like RingConn and Ultrahuman challenge Oura's longtime lead in the smart ring market, suggesting Oura is trying to justify its position through deeper fitness analytics rather than just tracking duration or heart rate zones. Framing effort as a weekly, personalized score could help Oura compete with dedicated fitness wearables like Garmin or Whoop, which already offer similar recovery and training-load metrics.
- Oura is adding Cardio Effort and VO₂ max metrics to Ring Gen3 and later devices.
- Cardio Effort combines workout intensity and duration into per-session and weekly scores.
- The release follows rising competition from RingConn and Ultrahuman in the smart ring space.
Oura Ring Gen3 — Since this article is all about Oura's new cardio tracking features, the Oura Ring Gen3 is the actual device that delivers Cardio Effort and VO2 max insights straight to your finger. It's a sleek, unobtrusive way to monitor workout intensity and recovery without strapping on a bulky wearable.
See Oura Ring Gen3 on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: techcrunch.com — Aisha Malik, 2026-10-20
Published there as: “Oura adds new fitness metrics to show how workouts impact your body”
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