Many of Firstbeat’s leading-edge metrics have found their way into the Edge 1030 announced today, 29 August. We have known about them all before but here is a handy guide as to what is new for the Edge products, what the metrics actually mean (via a link) and which need a powermeter to work.
First up: They all require a HRM
- Training Load (new to Edge series in the 1030) – 7 day averages based on EPOC
- Aerobic Training Effect (new to Edge series in the 1030)
- Anaerobic Training Effect (new to Edge series in the 1030)
- Training Status (new to Edge series in the 1030, needs a power meter) derived from VO2max changes and Training Load
- VO2max (needs a power meter)
- Performance Condition (needs a power meter)
- Functional Threshold Power (FTP) (needs a power meter), requires chest strap (see below comments)
- Recovery Time
- Stress Score requires chest strap (see below comments)
- Calories Burned
Last Updated on 11 March 2026 by the5krunner
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
Which ones require only HR (i.e. work with optical HR sensors) and which require HRV (i.e. R-R which isn’t reliable with optical) ?
I knew that question was going to come…
the answer is stress score and ftp/lactate threshold
but it’s more complex than that and this might or might not help: https://youtu.be/mV3JoR52adI