Fit For Science

In this inaugural episode, biological data scientists Rob and Stephan dive into the world of self-quantification. They discuss their personal setups, the reliability of popular smart rings, and share exclusive preliminary results from recent independent validation studies on sleep and fitness tracking.🔬 SummaryTwo scientists, Rob (chemist turned bioinformatician) and Stephan (mathematician turned bioinformatician), explore the intersection of technology and health.The Smart Ring Showdown: A deep dive into why the Oura Ring remains the current leader in sleep tracking despite battery durability issues and subscription hurdles.Oura technical support clarified (after some back and forth) that Oura's sleep staging is processed locally within the Oura App and is not updated or changed when the phone is connected to the internet. The ring records physiological signals and shares this data with the Oura App, which then runs the complete sleep staging pipeline offline.Sleep Study Insights: Rob shares findings from a 20-person sleep lab study (PsyArXiv preprint) comparing wearables against Polysomnography (PSG). Discover why the Apple Watch struggled with deep sleep while Oura remained remarkably consistent.The CIRCUL ring was, in fact, the worst-performing device.Participants were woken up at 3:00 am, not three hours after going to bed.Fitness Tracking (VO2max): An overview of an ongoing study at the Sports Institute in Vienna, examining how well watches from Garmin, Polar, Apple and Samsung estimate your aerobic capacityBio-Logic: A look at the "Soleus Pushup" for glucose metabolism, the medical necessity of straight teeth for longevity, and the evolutionary theories behind "rear end" hair triggered by Hank Green's hilarious short.Correction: The Soleus muscle is located on the back of the calf, and is considered part of the calf muscle group, despite not being on the shin.⏳ Chapters00:00:00 Introduction: Meet Rob and Stephan00:01:37 Smart Rings: Form Factor, Convenience, and Battery Woes00:04:17 Customer Support and Hardware Reliability in Wearables00:06:22 Rob’s Current Testing Suite: Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura00:07:58 Stephan’s Routine: How a Scientist Interprets Oura Data00:10:04 Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Temperature Baselines00:12:04 The Case for "N=2": Cross-Validating with Multiple Devices00:14:50 The Evolution of Heart Rate Tracking: PPG vs. ECG00:18:04 Comparing the App Experience: Oura, Whoop, and Samsung00:20:46 Budget Alternatives: The Amazfit Ecosystem00:22:37 Introducing "Fit4Science": The Philosophy00:24:40 News: Inside an Independent Sleep Validation Study00:27:12 Results: Oura vs. Apple Watch vs. Garmin in Sleep Staging00:30:51 Biases in Sleep Algorithms: Expectation vs. Reality00:34:33 Longevity Corner: Why Stephan Got Braces at 3400:46:59 VO2 Max Study: Testing the Accuracy of Fitness Estimates00:54:08 Human Efficiency: Energy Expenditure00:59:50 Height, Confidence, and Biological Advantages01:03:14 Body Types: Ectomorphs, Mesomorphs, and Endomorphs01:09:14 Genetic Testing and Hair Loss Prevention01:11:06 The "Elephant" in the Room: Why Rob Has 8 Bicycles01:17:14 Risk Assessment: Cycling Safety in Vienna vs. The Netherlands01:27:10 Funny Science: Why Do Humans Have Body Hair (at the “Rear End”)?01:31:34 Smells, Pheromones, and Evolutionary "Leftovers"01:34:59 Closing Thoughts and How to Support the ShowAboutFit for Science is a deep-dive podcast hosted by two biological data scientists, Rob and Stephan, exploring the intersection of research, health tech, and data-driven lifestyle design. We cut through the noise to provide evidence-based systems, layered with practical "N=2" personal experimentation.Learn more: fitforscience.comYouTube: @FitForScienceDisclaimer: This podcast represents our own opinions and is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical or financial advice or a professional relationship.