Cardio Fitness doesn't have Apple Watch as a data source

I am a 58 year old male who has been a lifelong endurance athlete. That lone VO2Max data point recorded in December 2019 pegged my VO2Max at 50. Nowadays, my typical outdoor walk pace is 16 minutes per mile and my typical outdoor run pace is 9 minutes per mile, for periods much greater than 20 minutes. My average heart rate over the course of a typical outdoor running workout varies between 100 and 130 beats per minute, with the average per workout between 105 and 115 bpm. I fully understand that laboratory derived VO2Max data is based on maximal efforts, but Apple has made it pretty clear that this is not the case for its Cardio Fitness feature, and people have reported that they are getting data recorded at slower paces than mine. I doubt that I have a defective watch since two of them have failed to record this data. The series 5 recorded VO2Max data one time with pretty minimal physical effort on my part. I also have done numerous anaerobic (intense effort) outdoor runs with both the series 5 and the new series 6, all for sessions greater than 20 minutes, yet NO DATA was recorded for any of those efforts either. That is what has me frustrated and confused (recorded data for one minimum effort workout, but not for any other workout regardless of effort). I am ready to write the Cardio Fitness feature off as a feature that works for some people but not for all.

" I fully understand that laboratory derived VO2Max data is based on maximal efforts, but Apple has made it pretty clear that this is not the case for its Cardio Fitness feature"

Yes, that is true for the new algorithm but not for the older one which was requiring a more intense effort (i.e. anaerobic threshold). It's not really possible to say whether your workouts were intense enough without knowing whether or not you were hitting the required percentage of maximum heart rate given your age. Anyway, with the new algorithm it would seem unlikely that intensity is the issue since they have lowered the intensity requirements.

So ruling out intensity as an issue as well as hardware based on the two different watches, the only possibly left is software corruption that has followed you from one watch to the other. "Just not working for some people" doesn't really make sense. If the hardware is working, then you should be getting readings particularly on your new watch with the new algorithm. If not, software corruption is the only available answer.

There is however one other outside possibility which is that your VO2 Max is outside the maximum for which it is calibrated. I once hit 55 and I am older than you but not sure how much hire us can go.

I think you already said you tried resetting your watch and re-pairing as new so the only other option is something you're not gonna want to hear nor is it something I would look forward to doing. That is, you would need to re-set up your phone as new because I'm pretty sure the calculations for the health metrics happen. on the phone. I haven't fully investigated but I'm almost positive there is a way to export your health data to iCloud so you could sync with that when you set up the new phone installation.

Only you can decide if this is worth doing because there are no guarantees and you could still end up with no data which would mean likely that your VO2 Max is outside the range of the Apple algorithm. That's all I can come up with.

Of course, as a serious athlete, you could always ditch the Apple Watch entirely and go with one of the dedicated running watches. There may be reasons why you don't want to do this but it is an option.

Good luck.

i have owned this watch since June 2020. I use it to track my power walks which are now up to 5 miles with an average pace of 14:09 per mile. I have never had one cardio fitness reading yet. All other health readings occur after each walk. I have unpaired and repaired as well as recalibration. Bottom line no readings. No data source. As I’m not the only one having this issue I believe it requires a software or IOS fix from Apple.

Finally!!! Mine started working, went for a short run today only 15 minutes Then have just finished a 17 minute walk. It’s now showing data :) hang in there guys I’m sure yours will all show up eventually

I guess you have to do a 20 minutes workout initially to calibrate......but after that you can do a 10 minute or less workout....and it will record it......it's working now for me now and I've done up to 8 minutes walks successfully

Again, Apple has said you don't have to do anything specifically. Just go about your day and eventually the readings will start showing up. That is also been my experience. Everything else that people have been saying "made it work" is coincidence more than likely.

Hi rolf228. Thanks for the settings information, but unfortunately I already had all of those settings set properly. I have tried every solution offered in this particular blog (as well as elsewhere on the internet), but my watch still is not listed as a data source for Cardio Fitness and therefore no Cardio Fitness info appears in the Health App. I had three lengthy phone calls with Apple Support about this today and conducted two more 20 minute plus outdoor workouts walks and runs for them so that they could capture diagnostic information during the workouts. Hopefully they will provide a solution to my particular situation. If so, I will post it here. Thanks again to all who have posted suggestions and/or personal experiences/solutions here.

I bought my Apple Watch 6 about a week ago, and I’ve been having this problem. Nothing seems to work for me. Here is what I’ve done so far.

• checked for updates.
• restarted both iPhone and watch
• slept with the watch every night
• I’ve been running with it for a least 20 minutes with map/tracking on, every session.

None of this is working for me. All other Heart features work fine but Cardio Fitness still shows up as not having a data source. Very frustrating and disappointing 😖😒👎🏼

“Now you need to exercise outdoors for at least 20 minutes while walking or running.”

I have said many times here this is NOT what Apple has the said which is that with watchOS 7,, the watch is capable of providing Cardio Fitness readings at a much lower level and as a result of normal movement throughout the day. They have clearly said that specific “exercise” is not necessary any more..

”watchOS 7 also allows Apple Watch to take cardio fitness measurements as users walk throughout the day, whether or not they are tracking a workout. With this innovation, Apple Watch is better able to measure VO2 max for users with low cardio fitness, who may not complete high-intensity workouts. “

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/12/cardio-fitness-notifications-are-available-today-on-apple-watch/

Excerpt from the link you posted: 

With watchOS 7, the Apple Watch now uses multiple sensors, including the optical heart sensor, GPS, and accelerometer, to estimate lower values ​​as well. This is important in that the direct measurement of VO2 max usually requires rigorous clinical testing with special equipment that is not easily accessible to most people. With watchOS 7, Apple Watch can also take cardio fitness measurements while users run all day, whether they are following a workout or not. With this innovation, the Apple Watch can measure VO2 max better for users with low cardio fitness who may not be doing high-intensity exercise. 

So the heart sensor, the accelerometer and GPS are required. It usually only works outdoors. "run all day" probably means outdoors. If there is a good GPS reception indoors and you can cover a measurable distance, then it will also work indoors. But I think it only works at the airport or something like that.

It would be great if Apple would offer a cardio fitness solution for indoor use.

As I said, this assumes that all of your other settings are correct. For example, the watch needs to be recording your heart rate, GPS needs to be activated, etc. etc. Also, you need some consistent, outdoor activity such as walking or running that lasts for a period of time. 20 minutes is a value that has been suggested here. Not clear whether this has to be in the form of an actual workout or not. Apple says no but some users insist yes.

Respectfully, I think talking about being "hoodwinked" is a bit over the top. Nobody advertises every single thing about a feature in a bullet point type of ad But their support article and other articles from them clearly say it works only with walking/running/hiking outside. I also don't understand that somebody who says they've owned several Apple Watch didn't understand this limitation.

Furthermore, the Apple Watch is not billed as a fitness watch per se as his Garmin and Polar. It couldn't possibly be a surprise that those companies have a more feature rich implementation of VO2 Max. You say this is not important to you but you seem to have spent a huge amount of time trying to get it to work so I don't understand why you're not simply using a fitness watch more oriented towards your needs.

I believe the rest of us are happy to have this feature at all and believe that it will surely improve over time. I have been using Apple products for 25 years and I have never once believe I was "hoodwinked."

For what it’s worth, I’ve tried every suggestion posted here (and elsewhere), from the logical to the nutty. I’ve also spoken with Apple Support numerous times since late December 2020 during which they verified that everything on my end is set as it should be and that the activities that I am doing “should” be generating Cardio Fitness data. I have even performed multiple workouts with Apple diagnostic software (profiles) installed on my watch and phone and provided Apple Support with the generated diagnostic data. Still NO Cardio Fitness data and no further word from Apple Support in over a month. The last time I spoke with Apple Support they said it was “a known issue”, they were “working on a solution”, and I would probably not hear from them again until they resolved the problem. Not holding my breath.

It has to be a outdoor walk/run where the watch can track your route.