Strava

import { Steps, Aside } from ‘@astrojs/starlight/components’;

Strava is an activity-tracking platform designed around outdoor and fitness workouts — particularly running, cycling, swimming, and other endurance sports. VitaSync syncs Strava activities as structured events with GPS, heart rate, and performance metrics.

Authentication

Strava uses OAuth 2.0 with standard authorization code flow.

Authorization URL: https://www.strava.com/oauth/authorize
Token URL: https://www.strava.com/oauth/token
API Base URL: https://www.strava.com/api/v3

Setting Up Strava OAuth Credentials

Go to Strava API Settings

Visit strava.com/settings/api and sign in.
Create an application

Fill in the form:
- Application Name: Your app name
- Category: Choose the most appropriate category
- Club: Optional
- Website: Your app URL
- Authorization Callback Domain:
  - For development: localhost
  - For production: api.yourdomain.com
Copy credentials

Note the Client ID (numeric) and Client Secret from the API settings page.

Add to environment

STRAVA_CLIENT_ID=12345
STRAVA_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret

Requested Scopes

VitaSync requests the following Strava scopes:

Scope	Data Access
`activity:read_all`	All activities including private ones
`read`	Basic profile information

Supported Metrics

Strava is activity-centric. VitaSync syncs Strava data primarily through the Events API:

Metric Type	Notes
`workout`	Each Strava activity becomes an Event (see below)
`distance`	Extracted from activities per day
`calories`	Calories from activity data
`heart_rate`	Average/max HR per activity if recorded with HR monitor

Activity Data

Strava activities sync to the VitaSync Events API with full sport metadata:

{
  "eventType": "workout",
  "activityType": "running",
  "startedAt": "2025-06-06T06:00:00.000Z",
  "endedAt": "2025-06-06T06:52:00.000Z",
  "durationSeconds": 3120,
  "distanceMeters": 8400,
  "caloriesKcal": 612,
  "avgHeartRate": 158,
  "maxHeartRate": 182,
  "providerId": "strava",
  "data": {
    "name": "Morning Run",
    "description": "Easy aerobic run",
    "type": "Run",
    "sportType": "Run",
    "commute": false,
    "trainer": false,
    "elevationGain": 65,
    "avgSpeed": 2.69,
    "maxSpeed": 3.81,
    "avgCadence": 168,
    "avgWatts": null,
    "kilojoules": null,
    "kudosCount": 4,
    "achievementCount": 2
  }
}

Supported Activity Types

VitaSync maps all Strava sport_type values into the activityType field. Common types include:

`activityType`	Strava `sport_type`
`running`	`Run`, `TrailRun`, `VirtualRun`
`cycling`	`Ride`, `VirtualRide`, `GravelRide`, `MountainBikeRide`
`swimming`	`Swim`
`walking`	`Walk`, `Hike`
`skiing`	`AlpineSki`, `BackcountrySki`, `NordicSki`
`rowing`	`Rowing`, `VirtualRow`
`workout`	`WeightTraining`, `Crossfit`, `Elliptical`, `Workout`

Sync Configuration

Setting	Value
Minimum sync interval	15 minutes
Initial sync window	Last 30 days
Rate limit	100 req/15min, 1000 req/day

Webhooks

Strava supports push subscriptions that notify VitaSync when new activities are uploaded. This reduces the need for frequent polling and can make new activity data available within seconds of the user finishing a workout.

To enable Strava push subscriptions, configure the public webhook URL in your Strava app settings.

Comparing with Other Providers

Feature	Strava	Fitbit	Garmin	WHOOP
GPS workout data	Excellent	Limited	Excellent	Good
24/7 heart rate	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleep tracking	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Recovery/HRV	No	Partial	Yes	Yes
Activity variety	Excellent	Limited	Good	Good

Strava excels at workout logging and social features but does not track passive health metrics like resting HR, sleep, or continuous HR. For comprehensive health monitoring, pair Strava with Fitbit, Garmin, or WHOOP.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely Cause
No activities syncing	Activities may be set to private with tighter visibility; check `activity:read_all` scope
Missing heart rate on activities	Activity was recorded without a heart rate monitor
Rate limit errors	Too many users syncing simultaneously — VitaSync queues jobs to stay within limits
`401` on sync	Token expired; Strava access tokens expire after 6 hours — VitaSync refreshes automatically