Oura Adds Cardio Effort and Passive VO2 Max Tracking

Oura is adding Cardio Effort and a passive VO2 max estimate to expand how users of its smart rings understand activity, TechCrunch reported on October 20.

Workout effort over time

Cardio Effort takes workout intensity and duration into account. It includes a score for individual sessions and a weekly view of accumulated effort, helping users consider more than the length of a workout alone.

Passive fitness estimates

The VO2 max feature uses GPS-enabled workouts to estimate aerobic fitness. The metric is an estimate of fitness rather than a direct laboratory measurement.

Cardio Effort is rolling out to Oura Ring Gen3 and newer models. The VO2 max feature is launching in Oura Labs for members with Gen3 and newer devices.

The two additions address different questions: how demanding recent exercise has been, and how aerobic fitness may be changing over time. Users should check the applicable device and feature availability rather than assuming every ring receives both tools at once.

Sources

TechCrunch: Oura activity-tracking additions

Image credit: Oura official newsroom press resources, Oura Ring 4 product-photo media kit, file “02 Oura Ring 4 Product Imagery (1).png.” Company-supplied press photograph; copyright retained by Oura. Shows a supported newer ring model, not the software interface.