Calorie Burn with Heart Rate Chest Strap

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stickkop
stickkop Posts: 24 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
How accurate is the calorie burn number when using a chest strap heart rate monitor ( I am using a Wahoo Tickr) - Would you trust Wahoo's calorie burn number when trying to maintain weight and eating back enough calories to eliminate a calorie defecit.

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  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    edited April 2016
    Falls under "Conventional HR-level based on estimation with general equations." Much better accuracy than without an HRM but not the absolute truth.

    Ignore the highlighting, it's not relevant in this context.

    how-calorie-measurement-works-on-garmin-fitness-devices.png

    http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/11/how-calorie-measurement-works-on-garmin.html
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    stickkop wrote: »
    How accurate is the calorie burn number when using a chest strap heart rate monitor ( I am using a Wahoo Tickr) - Would you trust Wahoo's calorie burn number when trying to maintain weight and eating back enough calories to eliminate a calorie defecit.

    Keep in mind heart rate monitors are designed for steady state cardio. The (one) formula they use is based on that type of activity.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    stickkop wrote: »
    How accurate is the calorie burn number when using a chest strap heart rate monitor ( I am using a Wahoo Tickr) - Would you trust Wahoo's calorie burn number when trying to maintain weight and eating back enough calories to eliminate a calorie defecit.

    Keep in mind heart rate monitors are designed for steady state cardio. The (one) formula they use is based on that type of activity.

    This. Accurate-ish for running/walking/elliptical/treadmill type steady state cardio. Inaccurate for weight lifting/circuit training.

    My advice would be to stick to a particular system (i.e., just use the numbers your HRM gives you for now) for about a month and see what happens to your weight. I found my HRM to overestimate. I suspect that is because I am an out of shape beginner and also might have a slightly higher HRMax than the age calculation predicts. Therefore the HRM was giving me an inflated calorie burn number. I now use these and the math is working for me again: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning

    It's possible once I am more fit / closer to normal weight the HRM will be a better predictor again.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,865 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Falls under "Conventional HR-level based on estimation with general equations." Much better accuracy than without an HRM but not the absolute truth.

    Assuming a mode of exercise where HR is a meaningful indicator of potential energy expenditure.
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