Do running power meter produce usable numbers?

Do running power meter produce usable numbers?

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

But 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 oxygen 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 (which in turn is highly correlated to oxygen consumption).

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 magic begins.

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