The Science Lab is a new section in the Welltory app where users can be the first to try experimental features developed by our team of scientists.
The first feature available in the Science Lab is the Orthostatic Test. This tool helps assess your cardiovascular system’s condition, fitness level, and recovery after physical activity. Currently, the test is available only for iOS users with Apple Watch.
To access the Science Lab, open the Menu (the three horizontal lines in the top left corner) and select Science Lab.
Orthostatic Test
The Orthostatic Test analyzes heart rate changes when transitioning between lying and standing positions. It can help:
Athletes evaluate readiness for training and recovery.
Individuals with chronic fatigue or heart conditions better understand their fatigue levels.
Test results are only available in the Science Lab section. They will not appear in your feed or Journal.
The way the test works
The Orthostatic Test involves three steps:
We measure the intervals between heartbeats in lying and standing positions.
We analyze how the body reacts to changes in body position.
We graph the data.
Graphs of results
Latest Results
The dots on the graph represent changes in heart rate after standing up during the test. For example, +3 means your heart rate increased by 3 beats per minute, while -3 means it decreased by 3 beats. Values above +30 may indicate Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Orthostatic tolerance
A scale with numerical values shows how your heart responds to position changes, helping you evaluate overall fitness and health.
Recovery
This graph indicates whether your body has recovered sufficiently and is ready for further physical activity.
Interpretation of test results
The orthostatic test is not just numbers, but a tool for making informed decisions about exercise, recovery, and overall health.
Assessment of overall fitness
To assess overall fitness, the orthostatic test should be done in the morning, before you drink coffee, exercise, or take a shower. You should have had a good night's sleep the previous night and be in good health. You should also avoid exercising the night before.
After the test, you will see a graph with the results. You should interpret them as follows:
The result of this morning's test | Training level |
0–10 | Great physical fitness |
11–15 | Average level of training |
16–22 | Low level of training |
< 0 > 22 | There is no way to determine your level of fitness. You are likely to be unwell or overworked |
Training readiness
The test can be performed any day, regardless of the amount of sleep and physical activity the night before to assess training readiness. But it's essential to take the measurement after your main sleep (in most cases, this is a night's sleep) and before you have coffee, shower, or breakfast. You should also be healthy.
Your workout readiness level will be reflected in the app immediately after the measurement. It can range from low to absolute readiness.
Post-workout recovery assessment
The post-workout test allows you to assess whether the load was sufficient or insufficient to improve your form and whether it was not excessive.
To perform this measurement, you need to do a morning orthostatic test after a good night's sleep, and the results should be between 0 and 22. Note that the exercise test should be started within 30–60 minutes after the end of physical activity.
Interpret the results of the measurement as follows:
Morning test result | Post-workout test result | Morning test minus Post-workout test | Load Level |
0–4 | ≤ 4 |
| Excess |
| 5–15 |
| Optimal |
| 16–29 |
| Excess |
| ≥ 30 |
| Extremely excess |
5–15 | ≤ 4 |
| Excess |
| 5–10 |
| Insufficient |
| 11–22 | < +3 ≥ +3 | Insufficient Optimal |
| 23–29 |
| Excess |
| ≥ 30 |
| Extremely excess |
16–22 | < 5 |
| Excess |
| 5–10 |
| Optimal |
| 11–29 | < −3 from −3 to +3 > +3 | Optimal Insufficient Optimal |
| ≥ 30 |
| Excess |
POTS diagnosis
This test helps check for potentially dangerous conditions and can be performed anytime, regardless of your current state.
If you select the POTS Diagnosis goal, you can stand for just one minute during the second measurement before lying down to complete the test.
Main problems during the test
Not enough data to analyze
If you see this message, please retake the measurements. In this case, it is important to follow all instructions so that the measurement is accurate, and we can analyze it.
Please redo both measurements
In this case, you probably measured standing first and then lying down. This affected the data we got. Consistency is crucial for accurate analysis, so the test should be redone.
Analyzing your results
In this case, we cannot get data from Apple Health. Please open the app to synchronize your data quickly.
Can't see your results
This happens when a server-side issue occurs. To restart the analysis process, please reopen the Apple Health app and click Look harder in the Welltory app.