Meet the Science Lab: The Next Frontier in Health
Hi all!
Exciting news: Science Lab is live! It’s a new space in the app where you can explore experimental, cutting-edge features developed by our top scientists. The first feature is the Orthostatic Test — an easy and surprisingly powerful way to get a snapshot of your recovery, cardiovascular fitness, and readiness.
Right now, it’s only available for Apple Watch users on iOS, but don’t worry — we’re figuring out how to bring it to Android 🫠. As soon as we’ve got it all sorted, it’ll be headed your way.
What’s the Science Lab?
Science Lab is like a playground for your health, where bold ideas meet cutting-edge tech and science to redefine what a health app can do. Here, you’re part of the experiment — taking tests, tracking trends, and helping uncover what works for your body.
Whether you’re an athlete, a biohacker, or just curious about your health, Science Lab is for anyone who wants to understand their body better.
What’s the Orthostatic Test and How It Works
It’s a fancy name for a simple way to check your cardiovascular fitness. Here’s how it works:
- You take 2 measurements with the Breathe/Mindfulness app: one lying down and one standing. The key part is how your heart responds as you transition between positions and while you’re standing — that’s what we focus on analyzing.
- We analyze how your heartbeat changes throughout the test.
- You see science-backed insights into your workout readiness and cardiovascular function.
When you stand, gravity pulls blood toward your legs. Your heart and nervous system have to work harder to keep everything balanced. If your heart reacts too fast, too slow, or not at all, it reveals how well your body is coping with stress and recovery.
Athletes and researchers have used this test for decades. If you’d love to dig deeper, I’m leaving you some studies and articles:
- Heart rate variability to monitor autonomic nervous system activity during orthostatic stress
- Effects of gender and aging on differential autonomic responses to orthostatic maneuvers
- Autonomic nervous system and postural control regulation during orthostatic test as putative markers of physical resilience among community-dwelling older adults
- Correlation Between Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Response to Orthostatic Stress and Indicators of Quality of Life, Physical Capacity, and Physical Activity in Healthy Individuals
- Reproducibility of heart rate variability parameters measured in healthy subjects at rest and after a postural change maneuver
- Orthostatic testing for heart rate and heart rate variability monitoring in exercise science and practice
- The syndromes of orthostatic Intolerance
- Clinical and endocrine features of orthostatic intolerance detected in patients with long COVID
- Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): A critical assessment
- The hemodynamic and neurohumoral phenotype of postural tachycardia syndrome
Who Benefits the Most
- Athletes: This test is your go-to if you want to avoid overtraining.
- Fitness newbies. Get a baseline and track how your body adapts over time.
- Health-conscious folks: Use this test every now and then to check in on your cardiovascular fitness.
How to Find It
Just tap your profile pic to go to the Menu and then tap Science Lab:
Breaking Down Your Results
The Orthostatic Test isn’t just numbers — it’s a tool to help you make smarter decisions about your workouts, recovery, and overall health.
Once you complete a test, you’ll see a report with analysis and insights. Let’s break down the key parts and what they mean.
Just a heads-up: if you’re currently on, or recently stopped taking, meds that affect your heart rate (like beta blockers), your results might not fully reflect what’s actually going on.
Orthostatic Tolerance
The centerpiece of your report is a chart showing your orthostatic tolerance:
This metric measures your body’s ability to handle posture changes by tracking heart rate shifts when you stand up.
General Rules for Orthostatic Tolerance Scores
- 5–22: You’re in the sweet spot. Crush that workout or keep doing what you’re doing.
- 23–30: You pushed hard. Time for lighter activity or a recovery day.
- Below 5 or over 30: Your body is overworked. Rest and recover before diving back in.
Check out the examples in the next section for tips on applying this score to your daily life.
Recovery
Your Recovery score shows how well your body has bounced back from previous activity and whether you're ready to take on more.
This is pretty straightforward — intense workouts should ideally wait until your body gets the green light for being fully recovered.
Latest Results
This chart tracks how your orthostatic tolerance changes over time. Each point shows how your heart rate shifted when standing up during the test. A +3 means your heart rate increased by 3 bpm, while a -3 means it dropped by 3 bpm.
Note: This is an experimental feature, and only your last 7 test results will be saved.
How to Apply the Results to Your Life
Ideally, you’d take the test in these three situations:
- The morning before your workout — your Pre-workout score.
- 30–60 minutes after your workout — your Post-workout score.
- The next morning after your workout — your Next-morning score.
Each test helps you fine-tune your training to avoid overdoing it. Let’s walk through some examples.
Know When to Go and When to Rest
Let’s say you’re planning a 10-mile run (go you!). Before heading out, you take the test. Your Pre-workout score is 8, meaning you’re fully recovered and ready for action. So, you lace up, hit the pavement, and crush it.
Afterward, you take another test 30–60 minutes later. If your Post-workout score jumps to 16, that’s a win! It shows the run was challenging enough to boost your performance.
The next morning, you’re itching to keep the momentum going with a HIIT session. But when you take the test again, your Next-morning score hits 18. That’s your body signaling it’s still in recovery mode. Time to swap HIIT for yoga or enjoy a well-earned rest day.
Here’s another example. Let’s say you live with a condition (but don’t take medication that affects your heartbeat). One beautiful morning, you feel like heading to the grocery store three blocks away but aren’t sure if your body can handle it. You take a test and score 16, which suggests things should be okay for a short shopping trip. So, you throw on your favorite T-shirt and head out, ready to snag something delicious.
When you get back home, you take another test and score 22 — right at the upper limit. This means the walk wasn’t super easy on your body, so next time, you might want to slow your pace or lighten the load a bit.
To be sure, you take a third test the next morning and, to your surprise, see a score of 15. That’s a great sign — it means yesterday’s trip actually made your body a little stronger, and you’re heading in the right direction.
See If You’re Doing Enough
- If your Pre-workout score is lower than your Post-workout score, and both land in the sweet spot of 5–22, you’re crushing it. For example, a 17 followed by a 21 shows the perfect amount of effort for growth and resilience.
- If your Pre-workout score is higher than your Post-workout score, that workout didn’t push you enough. For example, a 17 followed by a 15 means your body is asking for more intensity.
- If your Post-workout score drops below 5, you’re likely overtrained. If it’s above 23, you overdid it during your last session.
Track Your Recovery Like a Pro
- If your Next-morning score is about the same as your Pre-workout score, you’re recovering well and hit the right balance. For instance, scoring 17 before your workout and 18 the next morning is a great sign.
- If your orthostatic tolerance doesn’t typically dip below 10, aim to keep your Next-morning score within 10–22 and ideally lower than your Pre-workout score. The lower it is, the better your recovery.
- If your Next-morning score is higher than 22 or noticeably above your Pre-workout score, it’s a sign your body might still need more rest before your next intense workout. Over time, you’ll learn how your training impacts recovery and performance.
Spot Red Flags Early
If you’re feeling tired for no reason and your standing heart rate jumps significantly every time you take the test, this could indicate overtraining, fatigue, or even conditions like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) — when your heart races when you stand up because your body has trouble managing blood flow.
If your scores regularly fall outside the healthy range — below 5 or over 30 — it might be worth dialing back your activity and checking in with a healthcare professional.
The beauty of the Orthostatic Test is that it gives you real-time feedback tailored to your body. Whether you’re aiming for personal bests, building strength, keeping tabs on your health, or just staying active, it’s like having a personal coach to guide your every move.
Why It’s a Big Deal
Science Lab is more than a tool — it’s a collaboration. Every test you take and every piece of feedback you share helps refine these tools and push health science forward. Together, we’re not just tracking health — we’re shaping its future.