Oura Ring Introduces Advanced Cardio Effort and VO₂ Max Metrics to Enhance Workout Insights

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Oura expands its smart ring capabilities with Cardio Effort and VO₂ max features, offering users personalized analysis of workout impact and long-term fitness progress to stay competitive in the evolving smart fitness device market.

Oura, a prominent player in the smart ring market, has announced the launch of two new fitness metrics—Cardio Effort and VO₂ max—to provide users with deeper insights into how their workouts affect their bodies. This update comes amid rising competition from smart ring companies like RingConn and Ultrahuman, prompting Oura to innovate by delivering more advanced health tracking features.

The new Cardio Effort metric allows users to understand the strain their cardiovascular system undergoes during exercise. Unlike traditional measurements focused solely on duration or heart rate zones, Cardio Effort aggregates workout intensity and length relative to an individual’s personal baseline, offering an evaluation of whether they are maintaining, building, or overexerting their fitness. This approach shifts user focus from basic activity tracking—such as “How many minutes did I move?”—to a more nuanced question: “Am I improving my cardiovascular health?”

Cardio Effort is divided into two distinct evaluations. The first, Workout Cardio Effort, measures the impact of a single exercise session. The second, Weekly Cardio Effort, sums these efforts over a week to categorize overall cardiovascular load as Light, Fair, Maintaining, Building, or Reaching. Unlike methods based on maximum heart rate estimates, Oura calculates Cardio Effort by measuring elevated heart rate relative to each user’s long-term resting heart rate and personal activity patterns. This provides a more individualized and stable framework for tracking fitness progress. The feature is available for users with Oura Ring Generation 3 and newer devices.

In addition to Cardio Effort, Oura has introduced a passive VO₂ max estimate for users engaging in GPS-enabled workouts. VO₂ max is a key fitness indicator reflecting how efficiently the heart, lungs, and muscles use oxygen during exertion. Traditionally measured in clinical settings or via specific physical tests, Oura’s approach enables users to obtain initial VO₂ max estimates after completing five qualifying workouts. The My Health Heart Hub within the Oura app displays the VO₂ max value in milliliters per kilogram per minute, along with fitness categories ranging from Low to Peak, historical progress, and recent updates. The feature also provides personalized insights that notify users of meaningful improvements or consistent statuses.

VO₂ max is currently available in Oura Labs, the company’s platform for experimental features, for customers possessing Oura Ring Gen3 or later models. Together, these new additions aim to give users a comprehensive understanding of the intensity of their workouts and how sustained effort translates into fitness gains over time.

By incorporating these sophisticated metrics, Oura seeks to maintain its leadership position and differentiate itself in a crowded smart ring market, enhancing the value proposition for fitness enthusiasts seeking in-depth and personalized health data.