This past weekend, Apple announced the release of the third installment of their Apple Watch. You can check out the official release video here if interested.

elitefts customers and team members that rank training as a top 4 priority can easily find themselves buried in the minutiae involved with tracking activity and nutrition. Anyone with a family, a job, school, or hobby outside of the gym can attest to this.

Luckily, we are approaching 2018 and there are tools available that allow us to streamline this process. The Apple Watch 3 is being branded as the “Ultimate Sports Watch,” and is loaded with features to make life easier inside and outside the gym. Added features include GPS and altimeter capabilities, enhanced memory, a wide array of metrics, waterproofing, visualization/meditation tools, as well as the capability to sync to wireless equipment in the gym.

The big question to ask before we jump on the fatness tracker bandwagon is whether or not these devices are effective in making progress efficient. One JAMA article published in 2016 illustrates the ineffectiveness of the various tracking devices. They found that adding a device to track exercise and energy expenditure had no benefit for weight loss efforts when compared to classic approaches. Further, the article pointed to a detrimental effect for those in the 25 – 40 BMI range. Another study coming out of the University of South Carolina found that adding a tracking device to a weight loss regimen did not affect results in a statistically significant way. However, when paired with regular coaching and consultation, improved results were achieved (Scarmo, 2014).

As we wade through the conflicting findings in the literature, it's going to be up to each one of us to decide if these tools make sense given our goals and current situation. Have you benefitted from utilizing these devices in your training?

 References

  • JAMA, 2016, Vol. 316, No. 11, pp. 1161-1171,     http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-     abstract/2553448
  • Scarmo, S. (2014). Exercising the Truth: What works? What doesn't?.Nutrition Action Health Letter, 41(1), 9-11.
  • The Lancet, 2016, Vol. 388, No. 10050, p 1170-1182.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S01406736(16)31325-3

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