Garmin has filed a trademark for “Muscle Battery”, pointing to a brand new efficiency metric centred on muscle oxygen saturation. The appliance particularly refers to software program and algorithms that seize and analyse this knowledge, suggesting a readiness rating centered on muscular fatigue and restoration.
The submitting has gone unnoticed and we simply noticed it as we speak. Nevertheless it was revealed on February nineteenth.
Its wording is unusually particular. And importantly, this sort of monitoring would require devoted sensors able to measuring muscle oxygen ranges. That implies Garmin could also be making ready new {hardware} alongside the software program function.
Muscle oxygen, or SmO2, remains to be a reasonably area of interest metric in wearables. Proper now it’s principally tracked by specialist sports activities sensors just like the Moxy Monitor, quite than mainstream smartwatches, so if Garmin brings it to a client system it will be a fairly attention-grabbing transfer.
A pure extension of Physique Battery
The title Muscle Battery feels immediately acquainted. Garmin customers already know Physique Battery as one of many platform’s best-known options, giving an easy-to-understand view of total vitality ranges primarily based on stress, sleep and restoration alerts.
Reasonably than taking a look at full-body readiness, Muscle Battery is extra focused. In sensible phrases, it might assist runners, cyclists and power athletes perceive how properly particular muscle teams are recovering after arduous classes.
That might make it particularly helpful for interval work, lengthy runs, leg-heavy health club classes or back-to-back coaching days. That is the place muscular fatigue usually outlasts basic cardiovascular restoration.
Right here’s the way it’s described within the submitting.
A function of pc software program that captures, processes, and analyzes muscle oxygen saturation or associated sports activities efficiency metrics utilizing particular algorithms; function of working software program with muscle oxygen saturation or associated biometrics measurement algorithm for private digital units; digital software program algorithm for the aim of capturing, processing, and analyzing muscle oxygen saturation or associated sports activities efficiency metrics; algorithm function offered as an integral part of private digital units, particularly wearable health trackers, smartwatches, and well being monitoring units.
Might this tie into CIRQA?
Almost definitely, Garmin plans to introduce a brand new sensor able to measuring muscle oxygen instantly. Given the CIRQA trademark submitting, and the rising indicators that Garmin is exploring extra recovery-focused wearables, the timing feels notably notable.
The submitting date stands out as a result of it comes simply six days earlier than Garmin’s CIRQA trademark utility. Which may be coincidence, but it surely additionally raises one other risk. A screenless restoration band paired with a brand new muscle-focused readiness metric would generate a number of curiosity.
That turns into much more attention-grabbing in gentle of a latest Whoop patent that factors to a future wearable able to measuring muscle oxygenation. If Garmin will get there first, CIRQA might find yourself providing one thing past what the present era of the Whoop supplies.
For now, this stays a trademark submitting quite than a confirmed product function. Nonetheless, the specificity of the wording makes this one value watching carefully, as it might provide an early have a look at the place Garmin’s efficiency monitoring is heading subsequent.
This text initially appeared on Devices & Wearables, the primary media outlet to report the story.
Supply: USPTO
Subscribe to our month-to-month publication! Try our YouTube channel.
And naturally, you’ll be able to observe Devices & Wearables on Google Information and add us as a most popular supply to get our professional information, evaluations, and opinion in your feeds.
