Oura Adds Cardio Effort and VO₂ Max Tracking to Gen3 Rings
Oura adds Cardio Effort and passive VO₂ max estimates to Gen3 and newer rings, showing workout strain, weekly load and long term fitness changes over time.
Summary
On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Oura announced two workout metrics extending tracking beyond exercise duration and heart rate zones. Cardio Effort, rolling out to Oura Ring Gen3 and later models, measures cardiovascular strain using workout intensity, duration and elevated heart rate relative to each member’s long term resting rate, avoiding variable maximum heart rate estimates. Workout Cardio Effort scores individual sessions, while Weekly Cardio Effort aggregates them against personalized ranges based on recent activity, classifying totals as Light, Fair, Maintaining, Building or Reaching. A short, intense workout can score like a longer, easier session.
VO₂ max estimates how effectively the heart, lungs and muscles deliver and use oxygen, showing how workouts affect long term fitness. Instead of requiring a lab or six minute walking test, Oura estimates it passively from GPS enabled workouts. After five qualifying activities, My Health Heart Hub displays the estimate in ml/kg/min, a Low, Fair, High or Peak category, historical changes, the latest update and insights identifying meaningful movement or stability. VO₂ max is launching experimentally through Oura Labs for Gen3 and newer members. The paired metrics show immediate effort and accumulated fitness as Oura, the smart ring market’s longtime leader, faces rising competition from RingConn and Ultrahuman.
Positives
- Cardio Effort combines intensity and duration, allowing short, demanding workouts to receive scores comparable with longer, easier sessions.
- Weekly Cardio Effort uses personal baselines and recent activity patterns rather than applying identical ranges to every member.
- VO₂ max becomes available passively through GPS enabled workouts instead of requiring a laboratory or six minute walking test.
- Five qualifying activities unlock VO₂ max trends, fitness categories, update timing and change insights inside My Health Heart Hub.
- Oura Ring Gen3 and newer devices receive metrics connecting individual workout strain with accumulated weekly and long term fitness.
Risks & concerns
- Oura Ring models older than Gen3 are excluded from both new fitness features.
- VO₂ max requires five qualifying GPS enabled activities before producing an initial estimate.
- VO₂ max is launching through Oura Labs as an experimental feature rather than a standard release.
- RingConn and Ultrahuman are increasing pressure on Oura to defend its longstanding smart ring market lead.