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Garmin Connect Fitness Metrics – 2 Weeks In

The Garmin Connect Fitness Metrics Provide More Information and Guidance

I’m now about 2 weeks in with my study of the metrics that are provided by Garmin Connect. The consistency with which I have been measuring HRV Stress in the morning, and Performance Condition during a workout, is yielding some informative results. I’ve also started to study HRV Status (an overnight reading of heart rate variability), and sleep score. I’ll report about those metrics now and in more detail in future posts.

What Goes Into My Thought Process Via Garmin Connect Data?

My thought process for the Garmin Connect interpretations is as such:

  1. Wear the Fenix 6 as much as possible, to measure HRV Status overnight, get Sleep Score, and track Hydration.
  2. Once I’ve awakened, I study the HRV Status to determine whether it is trending up, down, or within an acceptable range.
  3. Look at Sleep Score and specifically look at Deep Sleep. I need to break 52 minutes of deep sleep, and I REALLY want to get more than 6 hours of consistent sleep, but honestly, that’s a real challenge for me at this time.
  4. Take an HRV Stress test after coffee and a bathroom break. I’m sort of skipping breakfast so I can exercise mostly fasted (I use cream in my coffee).
  5. After the ride begins, if my “Performance Condition” comes out highly positive, I’ll ride for time and volume. If it’s neutral, I’ll ride for base. If it drops quickly over the first 20-30 minutes, I usually focus on LOW intensity base cycling, and try to achieve an EPOC of about 100-150 at the most right now, and then an Aerobic TE of 3.0-3.5, with no Anaerobic TE.
Garmin COnnect Training Status Reports
The Garmin Connect Training Status Report area is perhaps my favorite section of Garmin Connect. That said, I WISH I could expand these charts to get a little more detail than what it shows in this summary page.

Most of my rides have been indoors, due to weather, time commitments at the house, and a general lack of knowledge about routes and group rides in the area, since I’m new to town. This has been the wettest winter in decades, and I want to show up for any group rides prepared fitness-wise. I also want to study this stuff, so we can all use it more effectively.

 

The results have been pretty good so far.

Garmin Acute Training Load Chart 1040
This chart is available in the ‘Training Status’ page in Garmin Connect, but I thought I’d show it from the Garmin 1040, because, honestly, it’s sharper. It shows decent growth in volume, and it provides a general ‘Ceiling’ and ‘Floor’ of EPOC over a rolling 7-day accumulated average. At least I think that’s what it’s telling me.

 

My overnight HRV Status, after some initial disruptions due to outside stress factors, has largely stabilized.

Garmin HRV Status Report
When overnight HRV Status is stable or within a known range, Garmin/FirstBeat is implying that I’m okay to exercise and probably increase my volume and intensity. That’s something I would like to do, so I’ll be using the above EPOC measurement chart (see previous graph) to continue getting more overall volume, but within the limits set by Garmin Connect’s algorithm.

 

Garmin Connect Sleep Score 4 Weeks
The Garmin Connect Sleep Score is not my idea of the perfect measuring stick, but it is what it is, and it’s inside the Connect Ecosystem, so that’s what I’m using. I would LOVE to talk with someone about pulling the EEG data from a Muse S app, and sticking it into Connect, which is something that apparently can be done with an API or SDK. I think the EEG is more accurate.

 

Garmin Connect HRV Stress morning test Report
When you don’t always know where your next meal may come from, you tend to have a little higher stress some mornings. Today’s HRV Stress was at a 45, so I did a shorter, but harder workout just to get some of that stress OUT of my life! 😉

 

Garmin Connect Performance Condition With Heart Rate Overlay -4
This was today’s “Performance Condition” chart. It started off at a neutral value, and declined over the course of 45 minutes. The HRV Stress was in the mid-40’s, the Sleep Score was pathetic, even though my impression of my sleep quality was high.

 

Garmin Connect 7-Day HRV Status overnight Averages LOW
Here’s the final piece of the puzzle; my overnight average of HRV values. I THINK this is the tell-tale heart value, right here. HRV overnight was ‘low’, meaning slightly more stress, and even though in my perception, I slept well, the data just doesn’t show it. Ergo, my Performance Condition was Middlin’ at best, and then it just declined over the 45 minutes or so that I rode. Any attempt at real intensity was not to my advantage.

CONCLUSION

Looking back at several of the factors, like Sleep Score, HRV Stress, HRV Status, and the initial HRV Performance Condition value, it was evident that there was not much I could accomplish today on the bike, other than a moderate ride. Instead of attempting any intervals or even an FTP test (I keep playing with that feature on the 1040 and will accomplish it some day for a blog post), I should have gone easy.

The Garmin Connect ecosystem is teaching me, but I’m not always listening. I’ll continue to look at this guide, and share my results with you as we go along.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!