Can you use a running watch to Run with Power?

Picture of a runner looking at their mobile and running watch

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

Yes.

All the major running watch manufacturers (Garmin, COROS, Wahoo, Suunto, Polar, and even Apple) have added wrist-based power to their new models.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

You may already have a watch that can provide wrist-based power, which means you don’t need to buy a separate power meter.

You may be a multi-sport athlete. The Stryd Ecosystem only supports running, so the investment in Stryd is less attractive.

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬?

There are no independent studies testing whether wrist-based power provides repeatable, valid power numbers. However, I ran my own (N=1) study, comparing wrist-based power from Garmin, Coros and Apple to numbers from a Stryd footpod. I found they produce repeatable numbers that, for recreational runners, are correlated to the Stryd footpod.

There isn’t an ecosystem for wrist-based power – instead, you’ll need to connect a few different apps.

Because power is still relatively new, and because you’ll need to use a few different apps, setup is more complex than with a Stryd.

Finally, few running watches produce power numbers when running on a treadmill.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭?

No one has independently validated wrist-based power yet, and setup is more complex than using a Stryd.

But it may be a budget-friendly way to try Running with Power.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on my N=1 study into wrist-based power, see Running with Power – 2G+AW+COROS

⏪ Can you use a Stryd footpod to Run with Power?

Can you use a running watch to Run with Power?

What else do you need (apart from a power meter and watch)? ⏩

Can you use a Stryd footpod to Run with Power?

Picture of a runner looking at their mobile and running watch

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐩𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

Yes.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐩𝐨𝐝?

It’s a power meter that works with all major sports watch brands, with Apple Watches, with mobile phones, and with some smartwatches.

It provides power-based metrics, accurate speed and distance metrics (even in poor-GPS locations) and some additional metrics that measure aspects of your running form.

It works outdoors or on a treadmill.

At least 10 independent studies have tested the Stryd footpod, finding that it produces repeatable numbers that are highly correlated with O2 consumption (a gold standard for measuring exercise energy consumption).

The footpod comes with the Stryd Ecosystem, an end-to-end solution (from planning through reviewing) that’s built around running power. The ecosystem provides all the functionality you need to run using a Stryd footpod and most of the important power metrics. It also provides access to coaches and training plans.

Support is excellent, and there’s a very active Facebook group where you can ask questions and learn from others.

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬?

It’s an additional expense on top of the cost of a watch. And while most of the Stryd Ecosystem is free to use, some items require a paid subscription.

Finally, because power is still relatively new, setup can be a little complex – even with the detailed instructions on the Stryd website.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭?

The Stryd footpod is a beginner-friendly way to start Running with Power.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on independent testing of the Stryd footpod, see Steve Palladino’s article Stryd Power and VO2

⏪ Do running power meters produce meaningful numbers?

Can you use a Stryd footpod to Run with Power?

Can you use a running watch to Run with Power? ⏩

Do running power meters produce meaningful numbers?

Picture of a runner looking at their mobile and running watch

𝐃𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬?

Running power meters provide numbers showing how hard you’re working when you run – your effort.

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭?

No.

Running power meters provide numbers that 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 your effort.

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬?

No.

Running power meters provide usable information … as long as the power numbers are repeatable and valid:
🔹 Repeatable? The same effort under the same conditions gives the same result.
🔹 Valid? The numbers are highly correlated to an existing ‘gold standard’.

At least 10 independent studies have tested the Stryd footpod, finding that the footpod produces repeatable numbers that are highly correlated with O2 consumption (a gold standard for measuring exercise energy consumption).

Wrist-based power has not been independently validated. However, I ran my own (N=1) study during 2024 and 2025, comparing wrist-based power from Garmin, Coros and Apple to power numbers from a Stryd footpod. I found they produce repeatable numbers that, for recreational runners, are correlated to the Stryd footpod.

𝐒𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬?

Far from it.

You can use running power numbers to measure your effort when you run.

And once you can measure your effort, that’s when the real magic begins.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on independent testing of the Stryd footpod, see Steve Palladino’s article Stryd Power and VO2
For more information on my N=1 study into wrist-based power, see Running with Power – 2G+AW+COROS

⏪ What is a Power Meter?

Do running power meters produce meaningful numbers?

Can you use a Stryd footpod to Run with Power? ⏩

What is a Power Meter?

Picture of a runner looking at their mobile and running watch

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫?

A Power Meter provides numbers representing how hard you’re working – your effort or running intensity.

Running power meters take readings from different sensors, then use an algorithm to produce a power number.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫?

Running intensity is important when training, so that you can train using workouts of differing intensities, each aiming for different adaptations.

There are other measures of intensity runners can use, but running power overcomes some of the disadvantages of those other measures:

🔹 It’s objective, rather than subjective, providing a number that represents your effort – unlike perceived effort.

🔹 It matches changes in your effort, even when running hilly routes – unlike pace.

🔹 Changes in effort produce an immediate change in power and there’s no upward drifting towards the end of longer runs – unlike heart rate.

𝐃𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭?

No.

Running power meters provide numbers that 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 your effort.

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬?

No, as long as the numbers are repeatable and valid (more on that in the next post), you can use them to measure your effort.

And once you can measure your effort, that’s when the real magic begins.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

What is a Power Meter?

Do running power meters produce meaningful numbers? ⏩