How to add calories burned from karate

Taegre

hiya all,

The MFP database massively overestimates calories burned while doing karate (670 calories burned in an hour?! I think not). So what I've been doing is looking at the calories I've burned during class as registered on my fitbit (I clip my fitbit one to my sports bra under my gi), and adding 100 or so. Sometimes I add more if it's been a class with more upper body work, so not a lot of steps were registered. This gives me a calorie burn of about 400 calories for a two hour class.

Short of getting a heart rate monitor, as I wouldn't be allowed to wear one during class, I don't really have any other ideas about measuring calorie burn.

Anyone else have any ideas? I'd rather underestimate the calorie burn, than overestimate.

hdrenollet

Karate is one of those things that's really hard to estimate. I guess it all really depends on what you're doing in the class and what your intensity level is. If you spend a full hour doing drills, then you're going to burn more calories than if you spend an hour working kata or learning new techniques. Also, if you do kumite, your heart rate may skyrocket for 3 minutes while sparring, but then you typically get a rest period while the next group goes at it.

This is just based on my experience (21 years). I know all schools are different, but the typical school doesn't spend a full two hours doing high intensity drills for every class. Some of us crazy dedicated karate-ka would love it, but the average student would lose interest very quickly and drop out.

That being said, without a HRM, it would be very difficult to get an accurate number. It's equally as difficult for me to give you a number. However, I would judge it based on how intense you feel the workouts were. If you feel like you worked out really hard and your heart rate was in the target zone for the majority of the class - then I would log that as Circuit Training or Running. If it was a lower intensity class, then maybe log it as walking instead.

When I estimate my workouts, I try to think of a common activity that I could relate that workout to (based on how I feel during the workout). Do I feel like I just ran a marathon, or do I feel like I walked around the block a few times?

Hope that helps a little. I wish you the best!

MeanderingMammal

Taegre wrote: »

Short of getting a heart rate monitor, as I wouldn't be allowed to wear one during class, I don't really have any other ideas about measuring calorie burn.

No method is going to be particularly accurate, so it souds as if you've got as reasonable approach as any.

Note that an HRM would give you an arbitrary figure as well, given the nature of the training HR isn't a valid indicator of associated calorie expenditure anyway.