The Science Behind
Your Scores
Every number in ScoreVitals is backed by peer-reviewed exercise science. Here's exactly how each score is calculated, what the tiers mean, and how to use them.
Composite Metric
Daily Score
Your single 0–100 number each morning. It combines four research-backed health pillars into one actionable metric, calculated automatically overnight in your local timezone so the fresh score is waiting when you wake up.
How it's calculated
Each pillar contributes its weighted share to the composite. If a pillar has no data, its weight is redistributed proportionally to the others.
Score Tiers
Hero Feature
Readiness to Train
Your morning answer to "How hard should I train today?" — a composite of recovery, sleep quality, and training load balance.
Ready to Push
Your body is fully recovered and primed for high-intensity work. Go all out.
Good to Train
Solid recovery. You can handle a challenging session with good form and output.
Train Light
You're not fully recovered. Keep the intensity moderate and focus on technique.
Easy Day
Your body needs more time. Light movement only — walking, easy spinning, or gentle yoga.
Rest & Recover
Skip the workout. Focus on sleep, hydration, and stress management today.
ACWR Safety Override
When your acute-to-chronic workload ratio climbs above 1.5, a graduated penalty is applied to your readiness score — scaling from 0% at ACWR 1.5 up to 60% at ACWR 2.0 — and your training recommendation is held at Zone 3 or below until your load settles. This protects you from injury when training has ramped up too quickly.
The Four Pillars
Deep Dive Into Each Pillar
Tap any pillar to see its components, tier thresholds, and what drives your score.
Cardio & Session Score
Training load from every workout, scored per-session and over time
Cardio & Session Score
Training load from every workout, scored per-session and over time
Session Score Components
Session Tiers
TRIMP Scale
Efficiency Rating
Key Insight
TRIMP quantifies internal training load using heart rate reserve — a 60-minute Zone 5 HIIT session scores dramatically higher than 60 minutes of walking, even though the duration is the same.
Sleep Score
How well you recovered overnight — duration, efficiency, and consistency
Sleep Score
How well you recovered overnight — duration, efficiency, and consistency
Components
Quality Tiers
Efficiency Rating
Key Insight
Duration targets are age-adjusted using National Sleep Foundation guidelines — because sleep stages matter more than duration alone. A 25-year-old needs 7–9 hours; a 65-year-old needs 7–8 hours. Your score reflects your personal target, not a universal number.
Recovery Score
Autonomic nervous system state via HRV and resting heart rate
Recovery Score
Autonomic nervous system state via HRV and resting heart rate
Components
Both metrics are compared to your personal 7-day rolling baseline, so scores reflect changes in your physiology, not population norms.
Status Tiers
Detail Labels
Key Insight
HRV is measured via RMSSD — the gold standard for parasympathetic assessment. A rising HRV baseline means your nervous system is adapting well to training load.
Body Composition Score
Weight stability and BMI trends over a rolling 7-day window
Body Composition Score
Weight stability and BMI trends over a rolling 7-day window
Components
Weight stability is the primary driver. The score rewards consistency — sudden swings in either direction lower your score, reflecting potential hydration issues or measurement error.
BMI Categories (WHO)
Key Insight
BMI is only 5% of this score because it's a blunt tool — it doesn't distinguish muscle from fat. Weight stability matters far more for day-to-day readiness than your absolute BMI category.
Advanced Metrics
Beyond the Daily Score
Deeper metrics that track your long-term fitness trajectory and protect you from overtraining.
ACWR — Training Load Ratio
Compares your acute (7-day) training load to your chronic (28-day) baseline using exponentially weighted moving averages.
Injury Risk
When ACWR exceeds 1.5, research shows injury likelihood increases 2–3x. ScoreVitals applies a graduated penalty to your readiness score and holds your training recommendation at a recovery zone so you can see the warning before a real setback.
Heart Rate Zones
Five intensity zones calculated using the Karvonen method (% of heart rate reserve from resting to max HR).
Karvonen Formula
Target HR = Resting HR + (% intensity × (Max HR − Resting HR)). Max HR uses the Tanaka formula: 208 − 0.7 × age.
Heart Rate Recovery
How many BPM your heart rate drops in the first minute after peak exercise. A key marker of cardiovascular fitness and parasympathetic reactivation.
Why It Matters
A faster post-exercise heart rate drop reflects strong vagal tone — your parasympathetic nervous system quickly decelerating the heart. Improving HRR over weeks is one of the clearest signs of rising fitness.
Methodology
The Research Behind ScoreVitals
Every algorithm cites peer-reviewed exercise science and sports medicine.
TRIMP
Banister et al. — Training load quantification using heart rate reserve and zone-weighted impulse scoring.
ACWR
Hulin / Gabbett et al. — Acute-to-chronic workload ratio for injury risk prediction using EWMA.
HR Zones
Karvonen method — Heart rate reserve-based training zones for personalised intensity targets.
Max HR
Tanaka formula — 208 − 0.7 × age. More accurate than the classic 220 − age.
Sleep
National Sleep Foundation — Age-adjusted sleep duration targets for optimal recovery.
HRV
Shaffer & Ginsberg (2017) — RMSSD as gold standard for parasympathetic nervous system assessment.
Ready to know your score?
Download ScoreVitals and get your first daily readiness score tomorrow morning.
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