The key facts
- Oura launches Cardio Effort and VO₂ max — metrics go beyond duration and heart-rate zones
- Cardio Effort is available on Gen3 and newer; VO₂ max is in Oura Labs for Gen3 and newer
- The company differentiates itself amid competition from RingConn and Ultrahuman
New workout metrics
Oura announced on Tuesday the launch of two new features — Cardio Effort and VO₂ max — expanding workout tracking beyond session duration and heart-rate zones. The company positions the new additions as a way to show how exertion affects the body: Cardio Effort assesses strain on the cardiovascular system, while VO₂ max reflects workouts' contribution to long-term fitness.
How Cardio Effort works
The metric accounts for both intensity and duration: a short, intense workout can yield a result comparable to a longer but less strenuous one. Oura measures heart rate elevation relative to each user's long-term resting baseline, avoiding inaccuracies associated with estimating maximum heart rate. The metric has two components: Workout Cardio Effort evaluates an individual workout, while Weekly Cardio Effort aggregates strain over the week with the categories 'Light', 'Fair', 'Maintaining', 'Building' and 'Reaching'. According to the company, the metric shifts the focus from the question 'how many minutes did I move?' to 'am I maintaining my fitness, improving it, or overdoing it?'. The feature is available on Oura Ring Gen3 and newer models.
VO₂ max without lab tests
Previously, measuring VO₂ max typically required a lab test or a six-minute walking test. Now Oura estimates the metric passively based on GPS-enabled workouts. After five qualifying activities, the user receives an initial estimate. In the My Health Heart Hub, users can see the current value in ml/kg/min, a fitness category (Low, Fair, High or Peak), the metric's trend and the date of the last update, as well as receive insights about significant changes or stability of the estimate. The feature is launching in Oura Labs — the section for experimental features — for Gen3 and newer owners.
Competitive context
Oura has dominated the smart ring market for years, but competitors like RingConn and Ultrahuman are challenging it, pushing the company to innovate. The launch of more advanced workout metrics is meant to set it apart from rivals. According to Oura, the two new features are designed to be complementary: they show how intensely a user is working and how that strain accumulates over time.
