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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!

 

Garmin Performance Condition Metric and the Link to HRV Stress

The Performance Condition Metric is Another Indicator of Preparation for Intensity (or Easier Riding)

I’m now about 9 days into measuring my HRV Stress on the Garmin, and it definitely seems to correlate with my sleep quality, as well as my hydration values. But there is another metric that pops up a few minutes into my rides. It’s the ‘Performance Condition‘ metric, and it is also using Heart Rate Variability (HRV).

Remember – Heart Rate Variability is a way to measure the variation in milliseconds between R-Wave contractions in the heart. The more variable the values, the more rested the heart is. The more consistent the values, the more stressed the heart is. Garmin bought FirstBeat Technologies several years ago to integrate HRV technology into their entire lineup of products and services. So it’s important to understand what this stuff is telling us. This is why I’m writing these blog posts.

Garmin’s Definition of Performance Condition

Garmin’s Performance Condition Metric is pegged to their HRV algorithm. In SOME cases, they have come up with a fairly accurate assessment of an individual’s Vo2max. Vo2max is defined as: “Volume of Oxygen Uptake, measured in Liters per Minute (Absolute), or Mililliters per Kilogram per Minute (Relative). Notice that one uses weight. This value can be altered through weight loss and gain, as well as fitness conditioning. Here is their definition…

The Performance Condition metric is a real-time assessment of your ability to perform compared to your average fitness level. This metric ranges from -20 to +20 with each point representing approximately 1% of the VO2 Max set on your device. During the first 6-20 minutes of an activity the device will alert you to your current Performance Condition. This can also be used as an indicator of fatigue level, especially at the end of a long activity. Performance Condition is calculated using the following:

  • Speed
  • Heart rate
  • Heart rate variability
  • Power

Here’s an example from one of my recent rides…

Garmin Performance Condition
The Garmin Performance Condition Metric pops up at some point between 6 and 20 minutes into most of my rides, indoors and out. It uses HRV (Heart Rate Variability), wattage, and basic HR values to come up with a value between -20 and +20. It’s also related to Garmin’s estimate of your Vo2max, which in my case, is fairly accurate, though YMMV.

 

This Value Will CHANGE Over the Course of a RIDE

Take a look at this page I built on my Garmin 1030. There are other metrics on the page that I will write about later, but focus on the “Performance Condition” value, located in the lower right corner of the page.

Garmin Performance Condition Value Changes Over Time.
The Performance Condition Field (Lower Right) will change over the course of a ride as HRV values change. Make sure you have a good chest strap in order to ensure the best data stream to your head unit.

 

Here’s where this metric gets interesting, and why I think it deserves some attention.

Look at the definition above. Performance Condition looks at your Vo2max, then heart rate, heart rate variability, and wattage. Then, remember my ‘happy heart/stressed heart’ summary about HRV.

A Happy Heart beats because it wants to.

A Stressed Heart beats because it HAS TO.

If a cyclist is 30 minutes into a ride and their Performance Condition starts to drop, well, that’s a sign. If Performance Condition starts to actually CLIMB or stays STABLE, that’s another indicator.

USE THE HRV STRESS VALUE IN CONJUNCTION WITH PERFORMANCE CONDITION

My new morning routine now involves measuring HRV Stress, usually after coffee, news and email. But I also try to pay attention to my Performance Condition Value, once my ride has begun. When I ride SOLO, the Performance Condition Value can help me better understand the preparation for a ride. I’m still figuring it all out, but Clifton Duhon of NBS Nutrition has a great and relevant allegory….

“A good ride doesn’t start with a meetup in a parking lot. A good ride starts the night before the ride, with good sleep. A good ride starts with the meal that you’re having that night, so that you get to sleep better. More good rides start with better preparation via nutrition and hydration in general. Sure, we all want to talk about on-bike hydration strategies and what powders yield the most miracles. But the chronic habit of good meals, in the proper proportions, which lead to better sleep, over time, is what really matters most. Nutrition via calories and a chronic hydration and sleep plan matter more than any other ride accessory.”

If I wake up and my HRV Stress is HIGH, then I’m going to look back about 12-16 hours to determine just how I might have messed up my preparation. Did the dogs sleep on top of me? Was it too hot in the bedroom? Did I consume too much alcohol (I’m 1 week sober as I write this, as an experiment in better sleep and recovery)? What was my hydration status?

The next step on the ride is to watch for the “Performance Condition” to pop up. If THAT VALUE, combined with the HRV STRESS value, is…

  • Negative? Well, I’m rolling back into the garage.
  • If it’s POSITIVE, I’ll ride and WATCH FOR THE DECLINE in the “Performance Condition” Field to determine how and when I should return home or curtail the duration.
  • If HRV Stress is Moderate and Performance Condition is Neutral or Positive, I’ll head out and just pay attention to the Performance Condition, so see if it remains fairly flat, or if it declines quickly.
  • Sometimes, Performance Condition WILL RISE during a ride, usually when I’m riding a little more intensely. If that’s the case, I’ll work my miles and minutes, and see if it starts to decline later in the ride.
HRV Stress and Performance Condition in Garmin Connect.
In this ride, which was about an hour long, HRV Stress rose and Performance Condition Fell starting about halfway into the ride. I wanted to follow the trail of Performance Condition, but I quit when it was obvious that my body was not getting anything out of the ride that was meritorious.

CONCLUSION

I’m slowly coming full circle on the entire concept of Garmin and FirstBeat’s efforts to integrate their interpretation of Heart Rate Variability measurements and conclusions into their metrics. In the last post, I discussed HRV Stress using a 3-minute test. But this post augments that information with the Performance Condition value, and how that relates to Vo2max, and whther a ride, or any exercise, is beneficial or not. Use it to help you determine early, just how hard you might need to go. You can also use it to better strategize those days and hours prior to an event or weekend ride.

I’m still a student, and I’m going to follow this thread with myself and you. Let’s learn it together, and see what we can glean.

I will also start incorporating Garmin’s Hydration Tracker and Sleep Score, to see if we can get a more Holistic picture of fitness and preparation via the Garmin Connect Ecosystem.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE.

Xert ATA – Saturday’s Big Ride!

Xert ATA (Adaptive Training Advice) for Saturday, October 10th, 2020 The Xert ATA and Training Pacer Rainbow Dial are showing that I am roughly 101 XSS in the hole. The workout goal is set to 166 XSS. The Focus recommendation is "Endurance".
Xert Adaptive Training Advisor Training Pacer Focus
I took yesterday off, but the Xert Adaptive Training Advisor looks at my previous Saturdays, and it has planned a good over-reach ride for me.
The Adaptive Training Advisor has been pretty predictable, and while I am tired, I'm not overtrained.

Xert ATA - Post Ride

Well, the Xert ATA wanted 166 points?
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