Garmin has filed a trademark for “Muscle Battery”, pointing to a new performance metric centred on muscle oxygen saturation. The application specifically refers to software and algorithms that capture and analyse this data, suggesting a readiness score focused on muscular fatigue and recovery.
The filing has gone unnoticed and we just spotted it today. But it was published on February 19th.
Its wording is unusually specific. And importantly, this kind of tracking would require dedicated sensors capable of measuring muscle oxygen levels. That suggests Garmin may be preparing new hardware alongside the software feature.
Muscle oxygen, or SmO2, is still a fairly niche metric in wearables. Right now it is mostly tracked by specialist sports sensors like the Moxy Monitor, rather than mainstream smartwatches, so if Garmin brings it to a consumer device it would be a pretty interesting move.
A natural extension of Body Battery
The name Muscle Battery feels instantly familiar. Garmin users already know Body Battery as one of the platform’s best-known features, giving an easy-to-understand view of overall energy levels based on stress, sleep and recovery signals.
Rather than looking at full-body readiness, Muscle Battery is more targeted. In practical terms, it could help runners, cyclists and strength athletes understand how well specific muscle groups are recovering after hard sessions.
That would make it especially useful for interval work, long runs, leg-heavy gym sessions or back-to-back training days. This is where muscular fatigue often outlasts general cardiovascular recovery.
Here’s how it’s described in the filing.
A feature of computer software that captures, processes, and analyzes muscle oxygen saturation or related sports performance metrics using special algorithms; feature of operating software with muscle oxygen saturation or related biometrics measurement algorithm for personal electronic devices; electronic software algorithm for the purpose of capturing, processing, and analyzing muscle oxygen saturation or related sports performance metrics; algorithm feature sold as an integral component of personal electronic devices, namely wearable fitness trackers, smartwatches, and health monitoring devices.
Could this tie into CIRQA?
Most likely, Garmin plans to introduce a new sensor capable of measuring muscle oxygen directly. Given the CIRQA trademark filing, and the growing signs that Garmin is exploring more recovery-focused wearables, the timing feels particularly notable.
The filing date stands out because it comes just six days before Garmin’s CIRQA trademark application. That may be coincidence, but it also raises another possibility. A screenless recovery band paired with a new muscle-focused readiness metric would generate lots of interest.
That becomes even more interesting in light of a recent Whoop patent that points to a future wearable capable of measuring muscle oxygenation. If Garmin gets there first, CIRQA could end up offering something beyond what the current generation of the Whoop provides.
For now, this remains a trademark filing rather than a confirmed product feature. Still, the specificity of the wording makes this one worth watching closely, as it may offer an early look at where Garmin’s performance tracking is heading next.
This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.
Source: USPTO
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