Calories burned on stationary bikes
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AMC110
Posts: 188 Member
I just finished 12 minutes on my exercise bike with a distance of 2.92 miles. The built-in computer tells me that amounts to 76.1 calories burned but when I log my details into online calculators the results are much higher (143 calories). I know the bike doesn't take my stats (height, weight etc.) into consideration but that's such a big difference so I'm not sure which result to rely on.
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Replies
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When in doubt, go with the lower amount5
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76cals sounds pretty reasonable. 143 seems fairly high to me.
The bike knows the activity that you're doing, which on stationary exercise machines, is more important than is your particular stats.0 -
Height isn't relevant and weight is only has a small relevance on an exercise bike that's why your bike doesn't ask for them.
Remember it's not a weight bearing exercise.
(Pro cyclists tend to be far lighter than me and burn twice as many calories as I can.)
Miles aren't a good measure for an indoor bike either as you aren't actually going anywhere and there's not a universal standard, it will vary from machine to machine.
Your fitness, intensity and endurance are the big factors.
Does your bike display power output (in watts) as you can easily and reliably convert that to calories.
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There is but very expensive - you would need to be a serious cyclist to justify the expense.
Power meter equipped indoor trainers are becoming more common all the time.
Unless you do a lot of cycling (hours and hours) I would simply go by your bike's estimate.
You can try to "calibrate yourself" to get an idea of your capabilities - use a Concept2 rower or run on level ground as two examples.0 -
There are devices you can buy and attach to measure power (watts) but they'll cost $500 or more. They're fantastically useful for fitness purposes, but probably overkill for weight management.0
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If it's any help......2.92 miles over 12 minutes is just under 15mph/24kmh which is pretty close to my average speed during a commute. I have a power meter on my bike and I'm assuming I'm heavier than you (weight is not really a factor unless you're climbing a lot of hills) and I burn about 17cal per km at that speed on a relatively flat route (2.92 miles is about 4.7km which would be approx 80 cal) so I'd go with the lower number.
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I did one hour and 45 minutes on a trainer last night and the meter read that I had burned 765 calories.
I have no idea if that's correct.
average watts? dunno, probably in the low 100's but also pushing up into the 200's at times
12 minutes? yeah, go with the lower number of approx. 75 total calories burned.0 -
I don't track the distance I do on the bike, but my last couple of workouts my Apple Watch gave me 89 calories for 17 minutes and 92 calories for 15 minutes. My bike's display usually roughly agrees with the watch. So yeah, 76 calories for 12 minutes sounds reasonable. I recently switched from running to the indoor bike and am still getting used to the lower calorie/minute burn myself. I wouldn't bother with a power meter, just use your bike's numbers.0
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12 mins is 1/5th an hr. 76x5=380 cals/hr. 143x5=715 cals/hr.
You'd have to be spinning at a fairly high level of effort to burn 715 cals/hour.
There should be at least some shortness of breath, difficulty talking and sweating involved and your HR should be somewhat elevated.
This describes my experience when I row at a rate of 675-725 cals/hr on my Concept2, which is currently my normal pace.
On the other hand, 380 cals/ hour is pretty much a walk in the park. You shouldn't be breathing hard, should be able to talk easily, shouldn't break a sweat and your heart rate should hardly budge.
OP: Go w/the description best fits your experience in order to choose which cal estimate to use.0 -
BrianSharpe wrote: »If it's any help......2.92 miles over 12 minutes is just under 15mph/24kmh which is pretty close to my average speed during a commute. I have a power meter on my bike and I'm assuming I'm heavier than you (weight is not really a factor unless you're climbing a lot of hills) and I burn about 17cal per km at that speed on a relatively flat route (2.92 miles is about 4.7km which would be approx 80 cal) so I'd go with the lower number.
That's really helpful, thanks!0 -
Height isn't relevant and weight is only has a small relevance on an exercise bike that's why your bike doesn't ask for them.
Remember it's not a weight bearing exercise.
(Pro cyclists tend to be far lighter than me and burn twice as many calories as I can.)
Miles aren't a good measure for an indoor bike either as you aren't actually going anywhere and there's not a universal standard, it will vary from machine to machine.
Your fitness, intensity and endurance are the big factors.
Does your bike display power output (in watts) as you can easily and reliably convert that to calories.
How do you convert the watts to calories burned?0 -
@livenfree45livenfree45 wrote: »Height isn't relevant and weight is only has a small relevance on an exercise bike that's why your bike doesn't ask for them.
Remember it's not a weight bearing exercise.
(Pro cyclists tend to be far lighter than me and burn twice as many calories as I can.)
Miles aren't a good measure for an indoor bike either as you aren't actually going anywhere and there's not a universal standard, it will vary from machine to machine.
Your fitness, intensity and endurance are the big factors.
Does your bike display power output (in watts) as you can easily and reliably convert that to calories.
How do you convert the watts to calories burned?
As the efficiency ratio (of converting energy to power) of experienced cyclists is in quite a narrow range around 24% lot of the complexity of the full equation can be cancelled out and boiled down to....
Watts x 3.6 per hour.
So an hour of cycling at an average of 200w burns 720 net calories.
Here's a link that explains in much more detail
http://mccraw.co.uk/powertap-meter-convert-watts-calories-burned/
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@livenfree45livenfree45 wrote: »Height isn't relevant and weight is only has a small relevance on an exercise bike that's why your bike doesn't ask for them.
Remember it's not a weight bearing exercise.
(Pro cyclists tend to be far lighter than me and burn twice as many calories as I can.)
Miles aren't a good measure for an indoor bike either as you aren't actually going anywhere and there's not a universal standard, it will vary from machine to machine.
Your fitness, intensity and endurance are the big factors.
Does your bike display power output (in watts) as you can easily and reliably convert that to calories.
How do you convert the watts to calories burned?
As the efficiency ratio (of converting energy to power) of experienced cyclists is in quite a narrow range around 24% lot of the complexity of the full equation can be cancelled out and boiled down to....
Watts x 3.6 per hour.
So an hour of cycling at an average of 200w burns 720 net calories.
Here's a link that explains in much more detail
http://mccraw.co.uk/powertap-meter-convert-watts-calories-burned/
thank you1 -
Distance doesn't matter. What matters is time and resistance. On a regular bike you could ride downhill and burn few calories, but ride the same distance uphill in the same amount of time and you would burn a lot. People on stationary bikes tend to think they are burning more than they are. But using resistance and cadence there is enough information for a stationary bike to calculate calories burned.1
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I just finished 12 minutes on my exercise bike with a distance of 2.92 miles. The built-in computer tells me that amounts to 76.1 calories burned but when I log my details into online calculators the results are much higher (143 calories). I know the bike doesn't take my stats (height, weight etc.) into consideration but that's such a big difference so I'm not sure which result to rely on.
Using time as a measure, I'd go with a rough estimate of 400 calories per hour ... therefore 12 minutes could be about 80 calories. If your built-in computer told you 76, I'd go with that.
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For 10 minutes my bike says 77 calories0
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For 15 minutes Apple Watch says ~50 calories. The bike is usually estimating higher. I tend to believe the Watch is closer. For My 15 minute ‘don’t be a sloth at home’ rides usually bike resistance is about 1/2 way up to max, I could hold conversation but not easily, and my heart rate is at about same as very fast walk. I’m very short tho, and my calorie burns are pitiful.0
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stationary bikes like the Keiser used for spin classes measures watts and converts that to calories. This measure is more accurate.
Stationary bikes that report a distance aren't that accurate.0 -
Heart rate plays a large factor into figuring this out. If your heart rate is not elevated into Zone 3 or above, you are not burning much of anything. If you do an hour in Zone 4 you will burn a ton of calories. Biking is one of the quickest burners out there that is very gentle physically to your body. As you get more fit, it becomes harder to burn as your body is not exerting/burning calories as much energy this is why heart rate becomes a factor, when your rate is elevated, you know your are burning calories no matter how fit you are. Everyones heart rate zones also change and are different as well.
Biking around a lake as not fit at 12 mph for an hour with a heart rate of 160 might burn you close to 800 calories or more.
Biking around the same lake very fit at 12 mph for an hour with a heart rate of 137 might burn you close to 300 calories or less.
There are sites that you can use that help figure this out. But in the end it's all dependent on weight, heart rate, and time.5
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