BEST HRM/ device

elsinora

Hi all

I really want to buy a HRM or related device so I can start looking at more accurately my caloric burn when exercise, as some of the exercises I do is pretty weird and it's hard to guess. I want to make sure I eat more efficiently to my burn as I am building up strength and I am doing really well on my various sports and powerlifting and want to make sure I am taking in sufficient food without going over.

Thing is, I've seen so many people on the forums saying Fitbit overestimates and some are just using HRMs and doing a calculation another way (which I don't understand).

Money isn't an issue for this - so can people recommend the best or best known device to track? Really want to invest in this.

Thanks!

gember85

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sijomial

elsinora wrote: »

want to make sure I am taking in sufficient food without going over.

^^^
Track your weight over time and you will know.

Unless you intend using a HRM as a training aid (monitoring your heart rate) for advanced cardio it's not required and most likely won't be accurate anyway.

What are these "weird exercises"? Depending on which exercise HRM calorie estimate could be anywhere from reasonably accurate to totally useless.

I've gone to the trouble of having a proper VO2 max and max HR test done so I can calibrate my HRM for my personal stats and it appears a pretty good estimate under perfect conditions. But it can also drift by 15% under the wrong conditions (cardio intervals or simply getting too hot).

elsinora

sijomial wrote: »

elsinora wrote: »

want to make sure I am taking in sufficient food without going over.

^^^
Track your weight over time and you will know.

Unless you intend using a HRM as a training aid (monitoring your heart rate) for advanced cardio it's not required and most likely won't be accurate anyway.

What are these "weird exercises"? Depending on which exercise HRM calorie estimate could be anywhere from reasonably accurate to totally useless.

I've gone to the trouble of having a proper VO2 max and max HR test done so I can calibrate my HRM for my personal stats and it appears a pretty good estimate under perfect conditions. But it can also drift by 15% under the wrong conditions (cardio intervals or simply getting too hot).

I do that already. I am in a professional roller derby team and a game is massively draining (training, depends), I also am a Mexican wrestler and I powerlift. I also cycle and run. I'm not interested in guessing on calories anymore and want to just be more efficient with the tech that's out there!

sijomial

Heart rate and calorie burn are not that tightly related.
You will just be using a gizmo to guess.

It's far more difficult to be accurate than people realise - outside of a sports science lab where you are hooked up to a gas analyser accuracy isn't actually possible. Reasonable estimates, perhaps, for some exercises but no more than that.

I use a very expensive power meter equipped trainer which measures power to +/- 2% accuracy and the manufacturer describes the calorie estimates as their best finger in the air guess.

EvgeniZyntx

elsinora wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

elsinora wrote: »

want to make sure I am taking in sufficient food without going over.

^^^
Track your weight over time and you will know.

Unless you intend using a HRM as a training aid (monitoring your heart rate) for advanced cardio it's not required and most likely won't be accurate anyway.

What are these "weird exercises"? Depending on which exercise HRM calorie estimate could be anywhere from reasonably accurate to totally useless.

I've gone to the trouble of having a proper VO2 max and max HR test done so I can calibrate my HRM for my personal stats and it appears a pretty good estimate under perfect conditions. But it can also drift by 15% under the wrong conditions (cardio intervals or simply getting too hot).

I do that already. I am in a professional roller derby team and a game is massively draining (training, depends), I also am a Mexican wrestler and I powerlift. I also cycle and run. I'm not interested in guessing on calories anymore and want to just be more efficient with the tech that's out there!

For wrestling and powerlifting these devices have significant error in calories burned as cardiovascular response does not correspond to cals burned.

If you cycle and run and money isn't an object - get a Garmin: Fenix 3 or FR630 or FR920XT.

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/11/winter-sports-gadget-recommendations.html

Ashleigh_LP

I've always found my Fitbit Surge really effective for tracking what I need and a few of my friends who also play professional roller derby use Fitbit too.

elsinora

Cool thanks guys. Don't know if I am any closer to finding the right one but will take a look at the suggestions and understand the HRM calculations better! Thanks!!!

powered85

Garmin Fenix 3 or forerunner 230 would by my vote with a chest strap hrm. I've had more accurate results with a strap vs any optical sensor. However the scosche rhythm+ isn't too far off the strap numbers.

SingingSingleTracker

sijomial wrote: »

Heart rate and calorie burn are not that tightly related.
You will just be using a gizmo to guess.

It's far more difficult to be accurate than people realise - outside of a sports science lab where you are hooked up to a gas analyser accuracy isn't actually possible. Reasonable estimates, perhaps, for some exercises but no more than that.

I use a very expensive power meter equipped trainer which measures power to +/- 2% accuracy and the manufacturer describes the calorie estimates as their best finger in the air guess.

Bingo!

Which, I imagine, is why most on these forums prefer not to log the exercise calorie burn - or suggest only eating back 1/2 of one's exercise calories, or mention that CI/CO is trial and error to find the right balance to the equation, etc... .

Many are afraid to use the scale to weigh themselves every morning, but I think it is a good gauge when combined with all the gizmo's, perceived hunger, and what not to maintain or reach one's goals.

What about some of the calculations or formulas used (based on time of effort, as opposed to HR) to calculate one's burn during exercise? Random example: https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

powered85

Using the fenix3 with a hrm I find the estimate to be quite close to METS values during high cardio activities.

Low level cardio like light weights and brisk walking doesn't give good estimates I've found using a hrm.

It's really important to have your profile and activity level setup correctly with any of these trackers as it helps give the best estimates.