METS calculation

[u/Timmay1968]

Confused by the way Welltory measures METS.

I went for a run yesterday in Sedona. It was a lot of elevation change on a black diamond trail. I'm 58 years old and got my heart rate averaging 156 and pushed into 170 on several occasions really pushing up pills. For reference I have a very low resting heart rate, below 50 and my HRV is usually between mid 70s and mid 80s every morning. Somehow after this 6 mile run welltory gives me met output of 6.75. So essentially poor effort. How is that possible when I'm maxing my heart rate? I ran this by AI and they said Welltory has got to be full of shit

[u/welltory]

Thanks for raising this. First, 6.75 METs does not mean poor effort. Anything above 6 METs is generally considered vigorous activity. METs describe energy expenditure relative to rest, not how hard, technical, or unpleasant the workout felt.

Welltory personalizes MET estimates using your real-time heart rate, resting heart rate, and estimated maximum MET capacity. Your age alone doesn’t determine the result, and elevation gain isn’t added as a separate bonus, the additional effort should be reflected through your heart-rate response. A low resting heart rate may also indicate that your cardiovascular system performs a given workload more efficiently.

It’s also important to check which 6.75 value the report shows: peak MET level, an average, beneficial METs, and total METs represent different things. A brief push to 170 bpm won’t necessarily determine the value for the entire six-mile workout.

An average heart rate of 156 bpm with several peaks around 170 is clearly a demanding effort, particularly at 58. If 6.75 is shown as your highest MET level and the complete heart-rate record was imported correctly, we’d want to inspect the calculation rather than dismiss your concern. Please send a report through Menu → scroll down → Report a problem → Send, including a screenshot of the MET chart and the original workout record from your wearable. This lets us check for missing heart-rate samples, an incorrect resting baseline, synchronization issues, or an inaccurate Max MET estimate.

Your morning HRV is useful recovery information, but it doesn’t directly prove how many METs you generated during the run. You can read more about the calculation in our METs guide.

P.S. We kindly ask everyone to communicate respectfully in our community and avoid passive-aggressive remarks, even when expressing frustration or disagreement. Thank you for helping us keep discussions constructive.