Doctor warns wearable fitness trackers can backfire, despite Rory McIlroy's success
Rory McIlroy tracked his heart rate during his Masters victory using a wearable device, sparking debate over whether health trackers help or harm users.
The roar of the crowd at the Masters is a familiar sound, but during Rory McIlroy's final hole victory, he was tracking a different kind of data: the rhythm of his heart.
As the golfer secured his win, his wearable device revealed a heart rate of 117 beats per minute on his first putt, soaring to 150 during the post-win celebration, according to data released from his fitness wearable on Monday.
New York-based medical expert Dr. Mike Varshavski joined host Lawrence Jones on "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday to discuss whether these wearable devices are improving public health or simply fueling a new era of medical stress.
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For McIlroy, the device functions as both a performance tracker and a tool for managing the golfer’s long-term heart condition.
He shared his myocarditis diagnosis, which he received at the age of 20, in a podcast interview with the brand WHOOP.
"I can wear WHOOP, and I can monitor my HRV, my heart rate... just to be able to keep on top of that, it just gives me massive peace of mind," he said.
However, Varshavski shared a different opinion of consumer wearables. While acknowledging their value for "a big athletic event, PGA Tour [or] professional sports," the doctor expressed concern for the average user.
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"I would never recommend a consumer-grade device to track a true medical condition. This is not what these devices are intended to do."
Jones, an avid user of multiple devices, including the WHOOP, Oura Ring and Apple Watch, shared that the data helps him catch up on deficits and understand his recovery.
"Sometimes you don't understand if you're in a deep sleep, for example, or you may have gotten eight hours, but you weren't really, you were tossing and turning," Jones noted.
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Varshavski countered that an obsession with these metrics can actually backfire.
"When you start losing track of that by focusing on the numbers, not how you actually feel, I feel that disconnects you with your own body," he cautioned.
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"We have a medical term for this called orthosomnia, where we become so obsessed with these fitness trackers and the sleep data, but it actually fuels sleep anxiety."
Jones emphasized that for a population that has historically ignored internal health in favor of "how they look from a... superficial standpoint," these devices provide a necessary gateway to health awareness.
The doctor agreed that the motivational aspect is a win as long as the expectations remain realistic. He suggests treating the technology with the same perspective as any other piece of fitness gear.
"We can treat these devices like we would a new pair of running shoes. You know, if that gets you excited to get an exercise program, why not? Let's make use of it."
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A WHOOP spokesperson provided the following statement to Fox News Digital.
"The characterization of wearables as purely ‘consumer-grade’ fitness tools overlooks the significant advances in accuracy, validation, and real-world utility that devices like WHOOP now deliver."
"We believe discouraging individuals from engaging with their own health data runs counter to the future of healthcare, which is increasingly continuous, personalized and focused on prevention," the spokesperson added.
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