Cardio Load and Target Load metrics arrive on Fitbit

Google is rolling out new tools to help users better understand their body and optimize recovery, with the introduction of Cardio Load and Target Load metrics. Available starting December 9 on Pixel Watches and Fitbit devices that support the Readiness score, these updates aim to help users balance activity and rest effectively. Alongside this, Google is enhancing its Pixel Watch lineup with additional health and safety tools, as detailed in the December Pixel Drop.

How Cardio Load tracks your daily stress

Cardio Load measures the total stress on your cardiovascular system throughout the day, not just during workouts. Built on a modified version of Banister’s Training Impulse (TRIMP) model, it incorporates exponential weighting for higher-intensity activities. This allows the metric to account for activities ranging from light daily tasks to intense exercise sessions.

Unlike traditional activity trackers, Cardio Load continuously monitors your heart rate to capture the impact of all activity types, from brisk walks to high-intensity interval training. The higher and more sustained your heart rate, the greater your cardio load will be. By integrating light and intense activities, Cardio Load provides a holistic view of how your daily lifestyle impacts your cardiovascular health.

What Target Load reveals about your fitness

Target Load complements Cardio Load by comparing your acute activity levels over the last week to your chronic activity trends over the past month, a method often referred to as the Acute to Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR). This comparison provides a personalized target range to help you train effectively while minimizing the risk of overtraining.

Users can select goals such as “maintain cardio fitness” or “improve cardio fitness,” which dynamically adjust the Target Load. Maintaining cardio fitness aligns your weekly cardio load with recent averages, while improving fitness gently increases your target to boost your fitness without overloading your system. Target Load also accounts for recovery by folding in Fitbit’s Readiness score, guiding users even when short-term recovery is high but overall trends indicate potential overtraining.

Other updates coming to pixel watches

While these updates stand out, some other features are also arriving with the December Pixel Drop. Pixel Watch 2 users can now use their watch to view live feeds from Nest Cameras and Doorbells, and even communicate with visitors from their wrist.

In addition, safety features are being expanded to new regions. Loss of Pulse Detection, which monitors for sudden cardiac arrest or other emergencies, is now available for Pixel Watch 3 users in Germany and Portugal. This tool can prompt the device to call emergency services automatically if needed. Germany is also gaining access to Fall Detection for all Pixel Watch generations and Car Crash Detection for Pixel phones, Pixel Watch 2, and Pixel Watch 3.

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