Proprietary composite scores — Oura Readiness, Whoop Recovery, Garmin Body Battery — translated. What inputs they use, how algorithms weight them, and what the numbers actually mean.
This page will help you understand what's actually feeding into your device's readiness or recovery number, so you can decide how much weight to give a single-day score.
Readiness and recovery scores are proprietary composite metrics calculated by wearable manufacturers to summarize your physiological state in a single number. They are not a standardized clinical metric — each company uses different inputs, different weightings, and different scales. They cannot be directly compared across devices.
What they have in common: all readiness scores attempt to quantify the balance between accumulated physiological stress and recovery, using measurable biomarkers as proxies.
| Input | Approximate Weight |
|---|---|
| HRV balance (vs personal baseline) | High |
| Resting heart rate | High |
| Sleep score | High |
| Body temperature deviation | Medium |
| Previous day activity | Medium |
| Recovery index (HRV stabilization) | Medium |
Oura interprets scores as: 85–100 = Optimal, 70–84 = Good, below 70 = Pay attention.
Whoop calculates recovery from four variables during sleep: HRV, resting heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep performance (including duration and consistency). HRV is the primary driver — Whoop weights HRV more heavily than Oura. The green/yellow/red categories correspond to >67%, 33–67%, and <33%.
Garmin's Body Battery charges and drains like a battery metaphor. It charges during sleep based on HRV-weighted sleep quality assessment. It drains during the day based on heart rate, stress scores (derived from HRV), and activity intensity. Body Battery is a running throughout-the-day score rather than a single morning readiness snapshot.
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| "A 65 on Oura means the same as a 65 on Whoop" | Each brand uses different inputs and weightings, so scores are not interchangeable or directly comparable across devices. |
| "A low score means I'm unwell" | Readiness reflects accumulated training and sleep stress, not a diagnosis — a low score can simply mean a hard workout or a late night. |
| "The score itself is the important data point" | The individual components — HRV, RHR, sleep — are more interpretable and actionable than the single blended number. |
| "The algorithm never changes" | Manufacturers regularly adjust scoring models via firmware and app updates, so historical scores aren't always calculated the same way as current ones. |