Intensity minutes

Why can’t Garmin fix Firstbeat metrics, like intensity minutes and TE, on their high end platforms?  I’ve had problems syncing both after workouts on both Marq and Enduro watches.  Checking the forums, this has been a recurring problem for over 5 years, where FB metric are recorded during a workout and disappear when syncing.  These are high-end watches, but Fitbit seems capable of registering  Intensity. Minutes and Garmin fails, when Garmi even owns Firstbeat.  These are good watches in many respects so this shouldn’t be the case.

  • I follow Garmin forums since years rather closely, but did not see many reports about the Intensity Minutes failing to sync. I only see frequent posts from users who do not understand how IMs work, and mistakenly think the Intensity Minutes should be equal to their time spent in an activity. Are you telling that the watch shows intensity minutes that are then not synced to your Garmin Connect account? Or what exactly is the problem?

  • ... and if you wonder how IMs really work, then the document How Does the Intensity Minutes Feature Work on My Garmin Watch? explains it:

    • "In order to earn intensity minutes credit, you must reach or exceed 10 consecutive minutes where your heart rate is elevated above the threshold that is considered moderate intensity."

    I do not know how it is exactly at Enduro, but typically the moderate intensity is somewhere around 150% of the Resting HR (RHR) for given day (see it on the HR card on the MyDay screen of the Garmin Connect Mobile app), and around 200% of the RHR for the vigorous intensity. For having the RHR properly logged, you have to wear the watch during rest (and/or during sleep), otherwise the reading will be too high, and in the consequence the thresholds too elevated.

    And some more insight is also directly in Enduro's User Manual (the critical parts highlighted by myself):

    Earning Intensity Minutes

    Your Enduro device calculates intensity minutes by comparing your heart rate data to your average resting heart rate. If heart rate is turned off, the device calculates moderate intensity minutes by analyzing your steps per minute.

    • Start a timed activity for the most accurate calculation of intensity minutes.
    • Exercise for at least 10 consecutive minutes at a moderate or vigorous intensity level.
    • Wear your device all day and night for the most accurate resting heart rate.
  • This is not the problem.  During exercise (HR is 3-4 x resting HR) TE and EPOC increase approximately.  After exercise, syncing fails.  TE doesn’t sync and IM registers as zero.  Moderate exercise doesn’t have this problem.  

  • After exercise, syncing fails.

    Then look at the Device Sync Audit, and fix the syncing problem first. The audit is available in Garmin Connect Mobile Android menu » Settings

  • IOS not Android 

    Well, I think only Android version offers Device Sync Audit. Cannot help you with iOS.