map my run

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temiacameron
temiacameron Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi im just wondering How does map my run , know how many calories you have burned doing an exercise(machine workout) when it only records time not km. Thank you

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  • pedermj2002
    pedermj2002 Posts: 180 Member
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    None of the apps out there know precisely how many calories you burn. Instead, they use whatever information they can get to estimate the calorie burn. For instance, my Garmin setup for biking will use the power meter when that's available, and switch to using heart rate next, and finally will resort to just time, distance, and my current weight.

    They can't know precisely because they're not inside your body. But the mathematical models they use are pretty decent, and get a decent approximation. If you don't eat all of those calories back, it's even better for you for weight loss.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    I don't understand the question. Mapmyrun is a GPS based app so it has information about both time and distance.
  • ZephieC
    ZephieC Posts: 162 Member
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    When I've used that app it gives me distance, time, elevation etc... and gives me an estimate burned on my stats that I entered. It probably isn't super accurate but it is better than me randomly picking an exercise from the MFP database.
  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    I don't understand the question. Mapmyrun is a GPS based app so it has information about both time and distance.

    Running apps can be used when you're on a treadmill but then they lack any GPS data to know how far you've actually gone. Either way, it's using some kind of formula to estimate the calorie burn from a work out. Some of them will accept uploads from a tracker like a Garmin or Fitbit that isn't GPS enabled and use the estimate of distance that is step based in the estimation.

    Regardless of the method used, the formula results in an estimate that isn't going to be spot on accurate for everyone, so even with my HRM and GPS for running I still consider it a sort of fuzzy guideline more than an exact science.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    heiliskrimsli wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    I don't understand the question. Mapmyrun is a GPS based app so it has information about both time and distance.

    Running apps can be used when you're on a treadmill but then they lack any GPS data to know how far you've actually gone. Either way, it's using some kind of formula to estimate the calorie burn from a work out. Some of them will accept uploads from a tracker like a Garmin or Fitbit that isn't GPS enabled and use the estimate of distance that is step based in the estimation.

    Regardless of the method used, the formula results in an estimate that isn't going to be spot on accurate for everyone, so even with my HRM and GPS for running I still consider it a sort of fuzzy guideline more than an exact science.

    Yes, Mapmyrun allows you to enter activities manually or using a paired device. If you enter it manually, it does ask for both time and distance, but if you leave off distance it will calculate calories based on some default. But you can also enter calories burned without it calculating it for you. But that still doesn't help me understand the question.
  • pedermj2002
    pedermj2002 Posts: 180 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    But that still doesn't help me understand the question.

    He's asking because, from the sounds of it, he used MapMyRun while on a treadmill, and he can't figure out how it estimated the calories it claimed since his treadmill time doesn't include any distance.

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