We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

How accurate?

dunkut
dunkut Posts: 50 Member
edited January 30 in Health and Weight Loss
Just a quick question, how accurate do you think a heart monitor is for calories burned? I walked a hill this morning, probably the steepest I have ever seen for 49 minutes. HR was up as I was gasping for breath, monitor said 1023 calories burned, seems like a wee bit much to me? It's a timex hr monitor and my data is entered in it, obviously there is some margin of error, just wondered what anyone thought?

Replies

  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    Don't know about the brand, and I would imagine that the quality of the brand would have a significant impact, but walking at inclines has a tremendous impact on the number of calories burned. I know using a treadmill in the gym, at 27% incline at 3 MPH, i'm burning almost 20 calories a minute. Don't know your weight. I"m 158. If you are heavier than that, you would burn at a much higher rate than that at the same speed. So the calorie burn doesn't seem all that implausible to me.
  • dunkut
    dunkut Posts: 50 Member
    274 lbs 5'10. I compared to workouts in MFP and it was higher for sure, but this hill was at least a 50 degree angle. The heart rate monitor wasn't cheap and had good reviews.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    Then I would think it might be pretty accurate, given the incline and your size. And I'd be walking it a lot if it were me. :)
  • mtnhiker1
    mtnhiker1 Posts: 114 Member
    Not sure - a long, long, long time ago I ran with a guy who used to run cross country in high school. he could run for miles and his pulse rate would not go much over 100. but when I ran, mine routinely went over 150. Even today if I get on a rowing machine, or bicycle, I can get my pulse rate up to over 150 but according to the calorie calculators on the machine, I do not burn that many calories.
    What I do is be machine specific. A 400 calorie work out on one machine may be equivalent to a 700 calorie work out on another machine. Maybe you should use your monitor on a stair stepper that has a calorie meter on it. Compare the calorie counter on your monitor to the one on the machine and see how they compare. This may give you a more useful measurement - maybe you are getting a bona-fide 1000 calorie work out.

    Just a thought
  • mtnhiker1
    mtnhiker1 Posts: 114 Member
    leebestoad - 27% degree WOW that is steep!
  • malloryteresa
    malloryteresa Posts: 5
    Does your HRM have a chest strap or is it one where you have to put your finger on a button on the watch? If it's a chest strap one, provided the chest strap was working properly I would say it's pretty accurate. If it doesn't have a chest strap it won't be as accurate.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    The gym has the top of the line FreeMotion treadmills. Any gym that has FreeMotion equipment is a good sign. Be it treadmills or cable equipment. The FreeMotion treadmills have preset buttons from 0 to 30 degree inclines in 3% increases. One button pushed and it starts ramping up to 27%. No holding down a button to get it up there (although you can do it that way).
  • dunkut
    dunkut Posts: 50 Member
    Mallory it has the chest strap, my plan is to compare it with an elliptical or some machine Monday at the gym, my average HR was 146 and I was in my zone for 25 minutes. Lee it wAs literally the steepest hill I have ever encountered, I'll be going back for more lol
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    That's the way to keep after it. Go for it.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories