Zwift and recovery time?

Trux, do you work for Garmin and able to help here?  Happy to try and give some links for more detail.  I can't speak to non-cycling activities, but I cycle extensively indoor/virtual.  I can say very certainly that intensity minutes, training load, recovery time, etc. can all be impacted by Zwift-integrated virtual rides (i.e. not recorded on a Garmin device directly).  However, since moving to the Descent Mk3i, I notice that recovery time is no longer determined and updated.  Previously I was using a Fenix 5 as primary wearable (obviously a much older base SW version).

Here is a ride from Jan 16, recorded only through Zwift integration, you can see it calculated and updated intensity minutes: <iframe src='connect.garmin.com/.../13537151065' title='Zwift - Greatest London Flat in London' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Here is a ride from Jan 15, recorded only through Zwift integration, and you can see it did not calculate and update intensity minutes: <iframe src='connect.garmin.com/.../13518454625' title='Zwift - Race: Stage 3: Flat is Fast - Volcano Flat (D) on Volcano Flat in Watopia' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Going back in time (to when I was using the Fenix 5) the intensity minute calculation was still intermittent.  So that seems to be unchanged.  The lack of recovery time calculation is new since I've moved to the descent mk3i.  But that metric doesn't appear as a metric in the activity itself, so difficult to illustrate the difference.  Any thoughts on how to show/confirm it was calculating previously?

jeeptj said:

Trux, do you work for Garmin and able to help here?  Happy to try and give some links for more detail.  I can't speak to non-cycling activities, but I cycle extensively indoor/virtual.  I can say very certainly that intensity minutes, training load, recovery time, etc. can all be impacted by Zwift-integrated virtual rides

No, sorry, I do not work for Garmin.

Intensity Minutes are definitely not influenced by Zwift activities, unless you wear your watch (or use a compatible Edge computer of the last generation) simultaneously. However, unless you start an activity on the watch too, and connect the HRM strap to it, the watch will use the internal optical HR sensor in low power 15s sampling mode, hence potentially with quite different HR data than what Zwift records.

Training Status is being transferred to Garmin Connect from Zwift activities. It is documented here: What Is the Training Status Feature on My Garmin Device? | Garmin Customer Support - see especially the section "Do Activities Recorded With Other Apps Count Towards Training Status?", which explains the conditions that must be met in order to get the Training Status updated. Read the conditions very carefully, especially the note about syncing your device twice after importing/syncing the Zwift activity (let the device a few minutes time to process the Zwift data, between the two syncs). Also note that the activity from Zwift must include power data, so make sure your home trainer sends it to Zwift.

As for the Recovery Time, I do not know. I find no reference on Garmin's website explicitly about Recovery Time in relation to Zwift or to other 3rd party apps. Either it is a part of the Training Status, and then it will show up as soon as you fulfil the conditions for updating the TS, or it is not supported. Cannot tell you since I do not use Zwift.

Interesting, I'll check that tomorrow and see how it goes.