What is Strain Score?

What is Strain Score?

Bevel's Strain Score is a numerical representation of your body’s cardiovascular exertion. You can think of your Strain Score as consisting of two components: passive and active strain. Active strain refers to the heart rate and movement associated with recorded workouts. Passive strain is calculated by leveraging factors like motion, heart rate measurements, and step counts that occur outside of workouts.

While there is a positive correlation between time spent in higher heart rate zones and your Strain Score, it’s important to note that Strain rises logarithmically—the higher your Strain, the harder it is to increase. At Bevel, we intentionally refrain from capping your Strain Score.

How to interpret Strain Score

Your daily Strain Score gives insight into how much you’ve exerted your body that day, allowing you to gauge the overall effectiveness of your exercise routing. A Strain Score of 100% typically reflects a high-intensity workout, but context matters. If your score is elevated without a workout, it could be due to poor recovery, stress, or illness.

Over time, you’ll start to recognize what strain levels feel right for your body. You’ll also receive Strain Scores for each activity, helping you compare workout intensity across sessions.

What influences Strain Score?

As your Strain Score is primarily driven by the time spent in each of your personalized heart rate zones, the following factors can influence your score:

Exercise Intensity: The intensity of your workout significantly impacts your Strain Score. Higher-intensity exercises like sprinting can result in a more substantial strain on your body, leading to a higher score. In contrast, lower-intensity activities such as walking or gentle yoga may yield a lower score.

Duration of Workouts: The duration of your activity is another determinant. Longer workouts generally result in a higher Strain Score, as they exert your body for an extended period.

Heart Rate: Your heart rate during exercise is a key factor. The higher your heart rate, the more strain your cardiovascular system experiences, which contributes to a higher Strain Score. This is why aerobic activities often yield higher scores than strength training.

Target Strain

Your Target Strain is a personalized daily recommendation that considers your historical strain, recent recovery scores, and activity trends to suggest how hard you should push today.

Think of it as your daily strain "sweet spot"—helping you train effectively without overdoing it. If your recovery has been high and your recent strain low, your Target Strain may suggest a more intense day. Conversely, if you’ve had several high-strain days in a row or poor recovery, your Target Strain will adjust down to support balance and long-term gains.

By following your Target Strain, you can better manage fatigue, reduce injury risk, and make smarter decisions about when to rest or go hard.