Oura Adds Cardio Effort and Automatic VO₂ Max Estimates

Oura is pushing its ring further into training analysis with Cardio Effort and an updated VO₂ max experience for Oura Ring Gen 3 and newer. According to T3, the update shifts the focus beyond calories and workout logging toward the cardiovascular cost of training, which is where endurance athletes actually start making better decisions.

Cardio Effort scores each session through duration and intensity, then rolls those scores into a personalised weekly total. It uses TRIMP, an established exercise-physiology framework for estimating internal cardiovascular load. That matters because a hard, short session can stress the system as much as an easier long one. Oura labels the resulting weekly load Light, Fair, Maintaining, Building or Reaching, based on recent activity patterns. It is a sensible way to connect the ring's recovery focus to the work that created the fatigue in the first place.

The bigger practical upgrade may be VO₂ max. Oura previously required a dedicated six-minute walking test for its Cardio Capacity estimate. Now it can create an initial estimate after five qualifying GPS-enabled activities, expressed in ml/kg/min, then place users in a Low-to-Peak fitness category and show the trend over time. Athletes can also enter lab or device results manually, though those values do not alter Oura's own estimate or rating. Less testing admin. Better.

There are limits. T3 says Cardio Effort is not the same as Garmin's more comprehensive Training Status or Training Readiness systems. The VO₂ max update is also launching through Oura Labs, and Oura has not shared a date for wider availability. Manual lab data being unable to influence Oura's fitness rating is another frustrating constraint, especially for athletes who trust a controlled test over an algorithmic estimate.

For Oura users who run or ride with GPS-enabled workouts, this is a worthwhile training upgrade versus treating the ring as a recovery-only tracker. It still does not replace a dedicated Garmin-style training platform. Not perfect. But a solid step.