Tag: HRV

Garmin Venu 4 45mm Smartwatch Review

The Garmin Venu 4 (45mm) is the company’s latest to bridge the gap between a sleek, everyday smartwatch and a powerful, dedicated multisport fitness tracker. Building significantly on the Venu 3, the Venu 4 introduces a more premium metalized design and brings over some of Garmin’s most advanced training features previously reserved for its high-end Forerunner and Fenix lines and I also feel it is taking on WHOOP with some of its features on board which is fine, WHOOP has no display and the watch does so it is a matter of wanting less time on your phone here which I do and have been doing getting metrics on the go by looking at your watch.

The 45mm Venu 4 represents a significant upgrade in build quality, moving to a full metal case that feels noticeably more premium and robust than its predecessors. The watch is stylish enough to look at home in an office setting but durable enough for the trail. It is a familiar design like many watches out there but you can up the style with different bands on offer which are nice like the leather bands.

The 1.4-inch AMOLED display is bright, vibrant, and highly responsive, offering excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. For me after using the watch for some weeks I found this display and it stands out and you can of course customize it even more with faces and make it stand out more.

A new hardware addition is the built-in LED flashlight (with white and red light modes), a feature trickled down from Garmin’s high-end watches, which is surprisingly useful for visibility during night runs or finding something in the dark like keys for trying to get into your house for example or just general looking for things in the dark.

This is where the Venu 4 truly excels, incorporating professional-grade metrics into a lifestyle watch:

  • Training Readiness and Status: Borrowed from the Forerunner series, you now get a morning score based on sleep quality, recovery, HRV, and acute load, helping you determine if you should push hard or take a rest day. Training Status gives you deeper insight into the effectiveness of your overall regimen.
  • Dual-Frequency GPS: The inclusion of Multi-Band (Dual-Frequency) GNSS is a major technical upgrade. This provides superior positional accuracy, especially in challenging environments like dense cities or canyons, making it a reliable tool for runners and outdoor athletes.
  • Lifestyle Logging: A new wellness feature allows you to manually log behaviors like caffeine or alcohol intake directly on the watch. The Garmin Connect app then correlates these entries with changes in key metrics like sleep, stress, and HRV, offering genuinely useful insights into how your daily habits impact your well-being. For me logging things daily is annoying however tried it out here with a general task every day it will pormpt you every day which is not bad for those wanting to use such a feature.
  • Sleep Metrics: The watch offers comprehensive sleep coaching, tracking naps, and introducing Sleep Alignment (how well your sleep pattern matches your circadian rhythm) and Sleep Consistency again wasted on me never used such.
  • Over 80 Sports Apps: The Venu 4 covers virtually every activity, including new features like Mixed Session profiles for tracking multiple activities in one workout (e.g., a triathlon or Hyrox session).

The 45mm Venu 4 offers up to 12 days of battery life in standard smartwatch mode, which is a colossal advantage over competitors like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch which I have both of and can confirm in the real world this is the best watch for battery end of story I own right now.

Always-On Display (AOD): If you use the always-on display, the battery life drops to about 4-5 days, which is still competitive.

GPS Use: Even with the high-accuracy Multi-Band GPS active, the watch can last up to 19 hours, making it excellent for long hikes or marathon training mostly used with ealks for me as out with an injury and still am confined to an extent.

While the Venu 4 is a powerful all-rounder, it has a couple of minor trade-offs:

It lacks the deep, seamless integration and third-party app ecosystem of watches running Apple’s or Google’s operating systems. The voice assistant functionality relies on your paired phone and can feel a bit clunky. I am use to having full rich notifications but this is not the case here with no images in emails such as my cameras etc not a huge deal but miss it.

Unlike some competitors, there is no option for LTE connectivity, meaning you must have your phone nearby for full connectivity and calls however I think most are in this same situation and use the watch and phone for me it has always been the case.

It sits at a higher price point than its predecessor, reflecting the addition of the premium materials and advanced training features and price can be a factor for some people with the feature set, Garmin has a loyal following like Apple and Samsung.

The Garmin Venu 4 45mm which is the model I tested is an exceptional choice for the user who wants a watch that transitions effortlessly between the gym, the trail, and the boardroom. It successfully blends an attractive, premium design with Garmin’s leading-edge fitness and recovery data. If you prioritize multi-day battery life, highly accurate GPS, and deep insights into your fitness and recovery metrics like WHOOP does over the smart communication features of an Apple or Galaxy Watch, the Venu 4 is easily one of the best watches on the market right now if you are not fussy over some small caveats.

Garmin Connect App

 

Features

  • Smartwatch with a bright, colourful display, stainless steel design, and built-in flashlight; Available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm.
  • Make improvements to promote a healthier lifestyle and know your body better with extensive health monitoring features, including wrist-based heart rate, Body Battery energy monitoring, fitness age, stress tracking, meditation and more (device data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
  • Get a sleep score and personalised sleep coaching, including recommendations for how much sleep you need, tips on how to improve, alignment on your inner sleep cycle by using circadian rhythm and more; breathing variations feature uses Pulse Ox to check your level of variations while sleeping (this is not a medical device, and device data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked; Pulse Ox is required and not available in all countries)
  • The health status feature looks for changes in your health data that could indicate added stress to your body for key metrics — such as heart rate, HRV, skin temperature and more — which could be related to factors such as physical activity, potential illness or other health changes (device data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked).
  • Log custom or preset daily behaviors — such as caffeine and alcohol intake — and view reports in the Garmin Connect smartphone app on how lifestyle choices may impact your sleep, stress and HRV to help you make more health-conscious decisions (device data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
  • Find new ways to keep your body moving with daily suggested workouts and more than 80 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, mobility, mixed session to track multiple activities in one session and more; plus, get easy-to-follow workouts for several activity types or even create your own workouts in the Garmin Connect app
  • Reach for your goals with Garmin Coach training plans for running, cycling, strength and fitness, which can provide personalised workouts based on your health, fitness and recovery metrics. Take on any fitness journey with advanced training features such as workout benefit — which helps you understand how each workout affected your body — and training readiness to help determine whether you should go hard or take it easy plus training status for insight into your overall effort
  • Enjoy the convenience of making and taking phone calls from your wrist — even use your smartphone’s voice assistant to respond to text messages and more (when paired with your compatible iPhone or Android smartphone); plus, you can respond to texts via voice, or Android users can text directly from the smartwatch
  • ECG app can record your heart rhythm and check for signs of atrial fibrillation (not available in all regions; for people 22 years or older)
  • Enjoy connectivity features, including music for phone-free listening and Garmin Pay contactless payments that allow you to leave your cash and cards at home (with a supported bank and payment network)

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WHOOP 5.0 MG Review

The Whoop 5.0 medical-grade (MG) version, marks a significant evolution in the world of fitness trackers, moving beyond simple step counting to focus on a holistic view of health and longevity. It’s not a smartwatch, it’s a sleek, screen-less wristband that prioritizes continuous, high-fidelity data collection to provide a comprehensive look at your body’s needs. I recently tested the WHOOP 4 and there is several differences throughout here between the two and again no screen just put it on and leave it there and add info during the day. 

Hardware and Design

The Whoop 5.0 is a refined version of its predecessor. It is about 7% smaller and noticeably sleeker, making it more comfortable for 24/7 wear, especially for sleep tracking. The minimalist design is a key selling point for those who don’t want a bulky watch on their wrist. However, be aware that existing Whoop 4.0 bands and chargers are not compatible with the new 5.0 model, which may be frustrating for long-time users with a collection of accessories. At times the bands do slip off the rails which can be annoying or catch in your jackets or sleeves but the same can be said for big watches.

The 5.0 boasts a two-week battery life, a huge leap from the four-day life of the 4.0. This change is a game-changer, reducing the friction of constant charging and ensuring more consistent data. The wireless on-wrist charging is a particularly convenient feature for those with the “Peak” or “Life” subscription tiers, allowing you to top up the battery without ever taking the band off.

Key Features and Data Insights

The core of the Whoop experience lies in its app and the actionable insights it provides. The device tracks three primary metrics: Strain, Recovery, and Sleep.

  • Recovery: This is a daily score from 0-100% based on your Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Resting Heart Rate (RHR), and sleep performance. It tells you how prepared your body is for the day’s activities.
  • Strain: This metric measures the cardiovascular load of your workouts and daily activities. The higher the strain, the more recovery your body needs.
  • Sleep: The device provides a detailed breakdown of your sleep stages (REM, deep, light), a sleep performance score, and a recommendation for your optimal bedtime.

The Whoop 5.0 MG version introduces several new, potentially revolutionary features:

  • Healthspan with WHOOP Age: This feature calculates your “physiological age” based on a number of metrics, providing insights into how your habits affect your long-term health.
  • Heart Screener with ECG: A key medical-grade feature that allows for on-demand ECG readings from your wrist, capable of detecting signs of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib).
  • Blood Pressure Insights: A new beta feature that uses the device’s sensors to provide daily estimates of your blood pressure.
  • Hormonal Insights: This feature provides personalized, science-backed guidance for women on how hormonal shifts during their cycle impact recovery, sleep, and performance.

Accuracy and Performance

Whoop excels at providing a comprehensive overview of your health trends over time. The continuous data collection (every 19 milliseconds) is far more granular than many competitors, like the Apple Watch over my time testing this it seemed consistent overall with other watches offering the same features I tested alongside with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Pixel Watch 3 

Subscription 

Whoop is a subscription service first, with the hardware included as part of the membership. This model can be a point of contention for many, especially when compared to smartwatches like Garmin, which have a one-time purchase price. While a 12-month subscription can feel expensive, it provides access to a powerful app ecosystem, AI-driven coaching, and continuous feature updates. For those who want to commit to a data-driven approach to wellness, the subscription may be worthwhile.

Conclusion

The Whoop 5.0 MG is an excellent tool for anyone serious about understanding their body’s health, sleep, and recovery on a deeper level especially folk at my age (51). The improvement in battery life and the introduction of medical-grade features like ECG and Healthspan make it a worthy device. While it may not replace a dedicated sports watch for detailed, real-time activity tracking, its focus on long-term wellness and personalized insights makes it a powerful “always-on” companion.

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Garmin announces the venu 4 smartwatch

Garmin has announced Venu® 4, the latest smartwatch in the award-winning Venu lineup with innovative new health, fitness and accessibility features. To help users understand their body better and make healthier decisions, Venu 4 lets them track their health trends and log lifestyle changes to see how their choices affect their overall well-being. It also features a stylish metal design, built-in speaker and mic and a bright LED flashlight that provides greater awareness in dark environments. And with up to 12 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, users don’t have to charge their watch every night, making it easier to monitor health metrics 24/7 and receive a more holistic view of their sleep, heart rate variability (HRV), Body Battery™ energy monitoring, and more.

“We designed Venu 4 to be a personal on-wrist fitness and wellness coach. This premium smartwatch helps users learn even more about their body, provides data-driven insights into how their choices are affecting their health and holds them accountable so they can reach their goals with greater ease.”

—Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing

What’s new

Health

 

    • Health status: See whether health metrics like heart rate, HRV, respiration, skin temperature1 and Pulse Ox2 while sleeping are trending away from their usual range. These changes could indicate added stress to the body and could be related to physical activity, potential illness and more. This feature is currently available in beta3 on the watch and in Garmin Connect™.
  • Lifestyle logging: Log custom or preset behaviours – like caffeine and alcohol consumption – and view reports on how those lifestyle choices impact sleep, stress and HRV in the Garmin Connect app.
  • Advanced sleep metrics: Sleep alignment provides even more personalised sleep guidance by keeping track of how aligned the body is to its inner sleep cycle using circadian rhythm. Sleep consistency provides a look at the average bedtime over the past seven days.

Fitness

The new Garmin Fitness Coach provides personalised workouts for over 25 different fitness activities – from walking and indoor cycling to rowing, HIIT and more. These heart rate and duration-based workouts will adjust daily based on activity history, sleep and recovery. Users can set up a Garmin Fitness Coach plan to receive tailored workouts and track their progress in the Garmin Connect app. If users don’t set up a plan, they will still get daily suggested workouts for different fitness activities. For those doing several activities in one workout, the mixed session activity profile tracks multiple activities in one session rather than saving separate activities. 

Accessibility

 

  • Spoken watch face: Hear time of day, health data and more spoken directly from the watch and receive alerts at the top of every hour. 
  • Colour filter: Users with various forms of colour blindness can choose different colour display options – including grey scale, red/green, green/red or blue/yellow.

Stylish design, premium features

Featuring a sophisticated metal design, Venu 4 is available in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, and comes in fun colourways – like lunar gold and light sand or silver and citron – with leather or silicone bands that can easily be swapped out. Both sizes feature a built-in LED flashlight for greater visibility in the dark, plus a speaker and microphone to make and take calls from the watch when it’s paired with a compatible iPhone® or Android™ smartphone and use the phone’s voice assistant to respond to text messages. Certain voice commands, like “start a running activity” and “set timer for 5 minutes” can also be activated right from the watch—no phone connected required.

To support every goal, Venu 4 includes Garmin’s suite of health, fitness and connected features, including HRV status, Body Battery, women’s health tracking (including skin temperature for past ovulation estimates and improved period predictions)4, the Garmin ECG App5, workout benefit and recovery time, training readiness, wrist-based running dynamics, smart notifications, onboard music storage, Garmin Pay™, safety and tracking features and more. To learn more, visit www.garmin.com. 

Available to purchase starting September 22, 2025, Venu 4 has a suggested retail price starting at £469.99 / €549.99 (IRE).

Engineered on the inside for life on the outside, Garmin products have revolutionised the health and wellness industry. Committed to developing smartwatches and health measurement tools that help people of all activity levels lead healthier lives, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate and a chance to beat yesterday.

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WHOOP Study Unveils New Digital Biomarker for Menstrual Cycle Monitoring, Advancing Understanding of Female Physiology

WHOOP, the human performance company, has announced the findings of a new study that introduces a digital biomarker for menstrual cycle monitoring, providing much needed insight into female physiology. Published in Nature’s Digital Medicine journal, the research examines the cardiovascular changes that occur during the menstrual cycle, offering a non-invasive method for tracking reproductive health.
The study, which analysed over 45,000 menstrual cycles from more than 11,500 participants, highlights the under-researched nature of women’s health. Despite women’s health issues affecting half of the population, only 3% of medical research is focused on women’s health. This new research is one of the largest efforts to leverage wearable technology for understanding the menstrual cycle and its impact on overall health.
“This research is a huge step forward in how we understand women’s health. While it has long been understood that various health metrics fluctuate with the menstrual cycle, the extent of these fluctuations and their significance have not been fully understood,” said Will Ahmed, CEO of WHOOP”
This research was conducted using the wearable device, WHOOP, which continuously monitors users’ biometric data. In total, over 1.2 million days of data were analysed to uncover these insights. The researchers behind the study, led by Summer R. Jasinski, suggest that this method could serve as a reliable and accessible indicator of hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, offering a new approach for tracking reproductive health without the need for costly tests or invasive procedures.
The key finding of the study is the introduction of a metric called “cardiovascular amplitude,” which tracks fluctuations in resting heart rate (RHR) and heart rate variability (HRV) during the menstrual cycle. According to the study, these fluctuations follow a predictable pattern, with RHR reaching its lowest point and RMSSD peaking around day 5 of the cycle, and RHR reaching its highest point around day 26.

The study also found that factors such as age, BMI, and hormonal birth control use can affect these fluctuations, making this new digital biomarker useful for identifying cycle irregularities and reproductive health issues.

In addition to menstrual tracking, WHOOP understands these fluctuations also offers guidance on optimising physical activity during the cycle. Research shows that exercise can have significant benefits throughout the cycle, but the type and intensity of workouts may be better aligned with specific phases.

For example, the follicular phase, including the first few days of menstruation, is often an optimal time for high-intensity workouts, as energy levels may begin to rise. In contrast, the luteal phase might be better suited for low-intensity exercises like yoga or walking, as the body prioritises recovery and may experience a slight dip in energy levels. Committed to advancing the understanding of female physiology at every stage of our menstrual cycle, these WHOOP insights empower women to gather a better understanding of their own bodies, and tailor their fitness routines to physiological needs, enhancing both performance and overall well-being.
This new study marks a significant step in the growing field of wearable health technology, which continues to offer new possibilities for non-invasive monitoring of various aspects of health. The WHOOP research highlights the potential of digital biomarkers to provide meaningful insights into women’s reproductive health, paving the way for improved health monitoring and earlier detection of potential issues.
For more information and groundbreaking research and recommendations into women’s health, visit the WHOOP Locker here.
WHOOP is committed to the advancement of research in Women’s Health. Please see below further resources from WHOOP on the areas of women’s wellness: