Recovery vs readiness vs body battery: how they differ

Which brand uses which term?

See each company’s own pages for how they define these: WHOOP, Oura, Garmin Connect.

Why can’t you compare them directly?

• Different inputs (HRV, resting heart rate, sleep, temperature, activity).
• Different baselines and time windows.
• Different scales and colour bands.
• Proprietary weighting that is not always published.

How should you use a score well?

1. Pick one source of truth per device.
2. Look at the weekly shape, not a single day.
3. Check what the app says drove the number.
4. Use it to adjust effort and sleep, not to override how you feel.

This is wellness information, not medical advice.

What inputs do recovery-style scores usually draw on?

Without claiming any one company’s formula, scores of this type commonly combine some mix of overnight heart rate and HRV, sleep duration and quality, recent activity or training load, and sometimes temperature or breathing trends. The weighting, the baseline period and the scale differ by product, which is why you cannot translate between them.

What should you ask of any score?

1. What data went into today’s number, and was any of it missing?
2. Compared with what baseline?
3. How much does a one-point change mean?
4. Does it explain itself in words you can act on?

Where does Bodhara fit?

Bodhara is designed around five scores (Recovery, Sleep, Strain, Stress and Energy), each with a coverage tier that shows how much real data backs it, and an explanation of its inputs. Bodhara is being designed as an Android-first, local-first app: your health records stay on your phone, every number shows where it came from, and missing data is shown as missing rather than as zero. It is in development, so specific device support and launch timing are not final. We will publish verified details before calling any connection supported.

Frequently asked questions

Is Body Battery the same as recovery?

No. They are different products with different methods. Compare trends within each app.

Which score is the most accurate?

No score is a clinical measurement. Prefer ones with transparent inputs and use them as trends.

Should I train hard when my score is high?

A score is one input. Consider how you feel, your plan and your sleep.