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Exploring Regular Exercisers' Experiences with Readiness/Recovery Scores Produced by Wearable Devices: A Descriptive
Adam H Ibrahim1, Cory T Beaumont2, Kelley Strohacker3
1Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies, The University of Tennessee, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue Health and Physical Education Recreation Building 314, Knoxville, TN, 37996-2700, USA. aibrah11@vols.utk.edu.
Wearable readiness scores guide training, but users also adjust non-exercise behaviors. Despite device data, exercisers prioritize self-awareness and personal judgment for optimizing adaptive exercise programming.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Meta-session autoregulation adapts exercise to individual readiness.
- Consumer wearables offer readiness/recovery scores, often based on heart rate variability.
- Limited research explores user interaction with wearable readiness data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore exercisers' experiences with wearable readiness/recovery scores.
- To understand how users interpret and utilize data from devices like Whoop™ and Oura™.
- To investigate the psycho-behavioral aspects of using wearables for adaptive exercise programming.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving 17 regular exercisers using Whoop™ or Oura™ for ≥3 months.
- Virtual semi-structured interviews to gather user experiences.
- Reflexive thematic analysis of interview data, supported by 'in-vivo' quotes.
Main Results:
- Users leverage wearable data to optimize training programming.
- Users modify non-exercise behaviors (e.g., sleep, nutrition) to influence readiness scores.
- Users recognize device limitations, emphasizing self-reliance and personal judgment for exercise decisions.
Conclusions:
- Wearable devices offer a quantitative approach to readiness, but users integrate this with qualitative self-awareness.
- Effective adaptive exercise programming relies on a combination of device data, behavioral adjustments, and personal judgment.
- Understanding user experiences is crucial for refining person-adaptive exercise strategies and wearable technology.
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