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 is designed to offer insight into how much your body is working, allowing you to gauge the overall effectiveness of your exercise routine. Additionally, Bevel also provides you with a Strain Score for individual activities so you can compare the intensities of the same workout across sessions.

As you spend more time using the app, you’ll begin to understand what a good Strain Score looks like for your body. However, a Strain Score of 100% can usually be considered an intense workout day. To interpret your Strain Score accurately, consider the context of your activities. If you've completed a high-intensity workout, a high Strain Score is expected. However, if your Strain Score is consistently high without a clear reason, it might signal overtraining, insufficient recovery, or even stress factors outside of exercise.

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.