{"id":51550,"date":"2026-04-15T15:57:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T15:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=51550"},"modified":"2026-04-15T15:57:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T15:57:28","slug":"rory-mcilroys-viral-masters-heart-rate-data-sparks-wearable-health-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=51550","title":{"rendered":"Rory McIlroy&#8217;s viral Masters heart rate data sparks wearable health debate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable\">The roar of the crowd at the Masters is a familiar sound, but during Rory McIlroy&#8217;s final hole victory, he was tracking a different kind of data: the rhythm of his heart.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">As the golfer secured his win, his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/tech\/technologies\/wearable-tech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wearable device<\/a> revealed a heart rate of 117 beats per minute on his first putt, soaring to 150 during the post-win celebration, according to data released from his fitness wearable on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>New York-based medical expert Dr. Mike Varshavski joined host Lawrence Jones on &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends&#8221; on Tuesday to discuss whether these wearable devices are improving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">public health<\/a> or simply fueling a new era of medical stress.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6392982663112\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ARTHUR C. BROOKS DISCUSSES HOW TO FIND MEANING AND HAPPINESS IN A TECH-DRIVEN WORLD<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>For McIlroy, the device functions as both a performance tracker and a tool for managing the golfer\u2019s long-term <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/heart-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">heart condition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He shared his myocarditis diagnosis, which he received at the age of 20, in a podcast interview with the brand Whoop.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/343\/192\/Rory-McIllroy-Masters-Augusta-041226.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/686\/384\/Rory-McIllroy-Masters-Augusta-041226.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/672\/378\/Rory-McIllroy-Masters-Augusta-041226.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1344\/756\/Rory-McIllroy-Masters-Augusta-041226.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/931\/523\/Rory-McIllroy-Masters-Augusta-041226.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1862\/1046\/Rory-McIllroy-Masters-Augusta-041226.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/720\/405\/Rory-McIllroy-Masters-Augusta-041226.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1440\/810\/Rory-McIllroy-Masters-Augusta-041226.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Rory McIlroy celebrates after winning the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 12, 2026.<\/span> <span>(Bill Streicher\/Imagn Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;I can wear Whoop, and I can monitor my HRV, my heart rate&#8230; just to be able to keep on top of that, it just gives me massive peace of mind,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>However, Varshavski shared a different opinion of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/nutrition-and-fitness\/fitness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">consumer wearables<\/a>. While acknowledging their value for &#8220;a big athletic event, PGA Tour [or] professional sports,&#8221; the doctor expressed concern for the average user.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\/dementia-risk-could-tied-mindset-outlook-life-study-suggests\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>DEMENTIA RISK COULD BE TIED TO YOUR MINDSET AND OUTLOOK ON LIFE, STUDY SUGGESTS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I would never recommend a consumer-grade device to track a true <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/health-care\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">medical condition<\/a>. This is not what these devices are intended to do.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Jones, an avid user of multiple devices, including the Whoop, Oura Ring and Apple Watch, shared that the data helps him catch up on deficits and understand his recovery.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/343\/192\/sleep-ai-wearables.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/686\/384\/sleep-ai-wearables.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/672\/378\/sleep-ai-wearables.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1344\/756\/sleep-ai-wearables.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/931\/523\/sleep-ai-wearables.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1862\/1046\/sleep-ai-wearables.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/720\/405\/sleep-ai-wearables.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1440\/810\/sleep-ai-wearables.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1200\/675\/sleep-ai-wearables.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"A man sleeping while wearing a smartwatch on his wrist\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>&#8220;I would never recommend a consumer-grade device to track a true medical condition. This is not what these devices are intended to do,&#8221; Dr. Mike Varshavski said.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Sometimes you don&#8217;t understand if you&#8217;re in a deep sleep, for example, or you may have gotten eight hours, but you weren&#8217;t really, you were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/sleep-disorders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tossing and turning<\/a>,&#8221; Jones noted.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Varshavski countered that an obsession with these metrics can actually backfire.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When you start losing track of that by focusing on the numbers, not how you actually feel, I feel that disconnects you with your own body,&#8221; he cautioned.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters?cmpid=fnfirstnl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have a medical term for this called orthosomnia, where we become so obsessed with these fitness trackers and the sleep data, but it actually fuels <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/mental-health\/stress-and-anxiety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sleep anxiety<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/343\/192\/older-woman-exercising-checking-heart-rate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/686\/384\/older-woman-exercising-checking-heart-rate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/672\/378\/older-woman-exercising-checking-heart-rate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1344\/756\/older-woman-exercising-checking-heart-rate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/931\/523\/older-woman-exercising-checking-heart-rate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1862\/1046\/older-woman-exercising-checking-heart-rate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/720\/405\/older-woman-exercising-checking-heart-rate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1440\/810\/older-woman-exercising-checking-heart-rate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1200\/675\/older-woman-exercising-checking-heart-rate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Senior woman checking fitness activity on a smartwatch after jogging in a public park\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Dr. Mike Varshavski suggests treating the technology with the same perspective as any other piece of fitness gear.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Jones emphasized that for a population that has historically ignored internal health in favor of &#8220;how they look from a&#8230; superficial standpoint,&#8221; these devices provide a necessary gateway to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/wellness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">health awareness<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The doctor agreed that the motivational aspect is a win as long as the expectations remain realistic. He suggests treating the technology with the same perspective as any other piece of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/nutrition-and-fitness\/fitness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fitness gear<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/lifestyle\/quizzes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We can treat these devices like we would a new pair of running shoes. You know, if that gets you excited to get an exercise program, why not? Let&#8217;s make use of it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Khloe Quill is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/lifestyle\" target=\"_blank\">lifestyle<\/a> production assistant with Fox News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of story topics including food and drink, travel, and health.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\/doctor-warns-wearable-fitness-trackers-backfire-despite-rory-mcilroys-success\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The roar of the crowd at the Masters is a familiar sound, but during Rory McIlroy&#8217;s final hole&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=51550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/51551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=51550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=51550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=51550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}