Is Apple Watch Resting Energy Accurate?

I have been an Apple Watch user for a long time now, testing out a lot of its features. One of the features that I have recently tried out is their resting energy results. If you have never heard about it, then yes, you can measure resting energy with an Apple Watch, too.

While it’s called “resting energy”, what it actually measures is the number of calories your body burns to maintain essential functions like breathing, circulation, and cell production, even when you are doing absolutely nothing. You won’t find this data directly on your Apple Watch, but it’s available in the Health app on your iPhone. It gives you a better understanding of how many calories your body needs to function at rest each day.

Personally, I find the resting energy data quite reliable. However, there have been cases where some users report inconsistent or inaccurate readings. This can happen for a few reasons, from incorrect personal data settings to how often you wear the watch.

The good news? There are simple ways to improve the accuracy. But before we get into that, let’s first walk through how you can actually check your resting energy.

How To Find Resting Energy#

• Go to the Health app on your iPhone.
• Now click on Browse > Activity.
• Finally, tap on Resting Energy.

Why Your Apple Watch’s Resting Energy Is Not Accurate#

Incorrect Profile#

In order for your Apple Watch to correctly measure your day-to-day activities, you need to enter your personal details in the Health app of your iPhone, such as your age, sex, height, and weight. If you have entered incorrect health information, then there is a high chance that your metrics, along with your resting energy estimate, will be inaccurate.

This also happens when you enter your health profile data a long time ago and don’t update it. So keep updating your health profile to get accurate resting energy and other estimates. 

Uses Basic Equations#

Apple Watch is not a medical-grade device; therefore, it only uses basic equations. Apple Watch uses Basal Metabolic Rate, which is not always accurate. For example, you need to enter your age, weight, sex, and height, but this information is not enough.

It misses out on other important stats like muscle mass, genetics, fat, and so much more. Because of such basic information, Apple Watches are mainly used to monitor health and activity, and should not be relied on for an accurate representation of stats such as your resting energy.

Fluctuations Are Not Monitored#

Another thing that I do not like about Apple Watch Resting Energy is that it does not monitor fluctuations in heart rate caused by medications, stress levels, or sleeping patterns.

Lack Of Proper Sensors#

Although a great tool for health monitoring, the readings on the Apple Watch are meager estimates. This is especially true for resting energy, because accurate calculation of resting energy requires data like body heat, oxygen consumption, and carbon dioxide released, metrics which smartwatches can’t directly capture.

Apple Watch Not Worn Properly#

Finally, the last issue is that you are wearing your Apple Watch too tightly or too loosely on your wrist, which leads to incorrect readings and, in some cases, no reading at all. You need to wear the Apple Watch properly, making sure it captures your health metrics as closely as possible.

Bottom Line#

If you are an Apple Watch user, the resting energy feature is definitely the one you shouldn’t overlook. I have found the data it provides to be incredibly useful for monitoring and managing my daily activity levels. 

While the number might not be 100% spot-on, the margin of error is minimal and well within an acceptable range for everyday use.

Frequently Asked Questions#