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

I'm pretty sure he is confused about something. Your watch will not show up as a data source for VO2max until the first time it writes data. In other words, it can't be a source until it is a source. :-)

Hello Osugrad85, you are right, at first i tried everything to make watch a “source” manually for Vo2, even ended up deleting data for some old watches in trial and error...however you can always “prioritize the source for heartbeat(not Vo2max”) by pressing edit on top right corner and moving current watch as a source up, as It is an important calculation parameter for Vo2max,

what i observed is, Vo2max selected data source automatically after 2 workouts, after doing steps mentioned in my earlier post.

Hello Osugrad85, steps to edit source, where it is already recording data, say heartbeat ... Open health app> heart>data source>( you must be having couple of datasources if its not a 1st watch)> press edit on top right corner> move up = sign next to current watch data source manually to top.. >done, sorry i am not a professional.. just trying to help fellow apple watch user..:-) hope it works for you..:-))

The cardiofittness function needs the heartbeat and the distance to determine a value. If the power-saving mode for training is activated in the watch settings, no heart rate is recorded. So deactivate the settings under workout / energy saving mode in the Apple Watch APP on the iPhone. Then check in the iPhone settings whether the GPS mode for workouts Settings / Data protection / Location services / workouts is switched on. Then you can reset the calibration of the watch in the watch APP on the iPhone under data protection. Now you have to do an outdoor workout while walking or running for at least 20 minutes. It can also be that values appear under Cardio only after several workouts.

Greetings from old Germany

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.

This one piece of data seems extraordinarily important to you even though the reliability of VO2Max with wrist sensors is questionable:

https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a20856601/can-your-watch-estimate-your-vo2-max/

For me, if it was that important I would be pursuing more reliable ways getting the data then with the Apple Watch. Yes, the AW is interesting it not something that is proven to be reliable enough for serious use.

So, again, I’m not sure why you want to spend this much time and energy but that’s a personal decision of course. I am interested in what Apple comes up with if anything so do keep us posted.

After all my initial issues which I described and my solution, here is an update. I have done daily indoor workouts, getting my cardio and strength training. None of that gets recorded. I just took a ten minute walk outside and it wrote that data. So really this feature isn’t very useful to me if it only records an outdoor walk or run. I don’t get it.

"So really this feature isn’t very useful to me if it only records an outdoor walk or run. I don’t get it. "

Clearly Apple believes that it's algorithm is most valid when it has reliable distance measurements. Assuming you get measurements when you do walk or run outside why do you conclude it is of no use? The point is that you get an estimate of your cardio fitness. Does it matter if that estimate is derived from outdoor or indoor exercise? I think you are confused about the role of cardio fitness. It is not to give you a metric that is attached to every exercise that you do but to give you an estimate of, well, cardio fitness. Unless you stay inside 100% of the time you will get measurements. So what is the issue?

Due to an injury and subsequent surgery I do in fact have to get most of my workouts indoors right now. My walks are abbreviated for the time being. I’m sure there are many others who, for any number of reasons, are not getting their exercise from an outdoor walk or run. This should be obvious. I wonder how an indoor treadmill workout is recorded.

I am sorry for your injury but in reality cardio fitness is just an unreliable estimate which may be interesting but certainly not required in any sense that I understand. You will have access to so many other health metrics that not having Cardio fitness data is just not that big a deal. If for some reason you really feel you need this estimate you can always buy a relatively cheap Polar heart strap and use their fitness test to get the same information

As per above, Cardio Fitness data takes a bit of time before it starts showing up. None of what you did has any relevance. For me it took 4-7 days so I would give it a bit more time and then report back here.

I really hope that’s what it is, and if that’s the case, Apple should explain that in the instructions. None of their instructions and articles (that I’ve read) explain that it takes a few days to start working. Thanks tho 👍🏼

Generally speaking this issue appears to impact new Apple Watch 6 users who bought their watch after the latest update. People who used the watch before then understand that cardio fitness/VO2 Max does not necessarily show up immediately. These new users may also not be aware that there has been a change in the algorithm used to calculate the data. Part of the confusion may stem from the fact that the older algorithm required a certain intense activity whereas the new one just requires that you move around. Hence, it may have been easy to understand with the older algorithm that something more was required than just putting on the watch.

Anyway, let us know if it show up soon. If not, there may be other things that need to be checked.