How to use heart rate monitor?

ferd_ttp5

How to use heart monitor for tracking off your exercise calorie burned? Does I need an application connected to my Bluetooth Fitness Tracker that includes HRM? Using Xiaomi Mi Band 2 gotta try it out for a week and so.

middlehaitch

If it didn't come with instructions go to the website and find out how to use it and what apps you may need to use.

Cheers, h.

heybales

And since your desire for use seems to be about calorie burn - which was NOT it's intended first usefulness as a tool - something to keep in mind.

The formula for calculating calorie burn from HR is ONLY valid for steady-state (same HR for 2-4 min) aerobic exercise.

Anything else will be inflated, either below the low end like daily use, or above the upper end like anaerobic sprinting, or your HR bouncing all over the place like lifting or intervals.

The closer your workouts are to those outside ranges, the worse the accuracy.

In addition, depending on how the HRM estimates it figures from your given stats - even those calculations could be pretty iffy.
Like if only gender, age, weight, height - it's going to be assuming if your BMI (height/weight) is bad for your gender/age - then your fitness level is going to be bad too. That's not always a good assumption.

Also, there are many reasons why you will get a HR elevated higher than what would normally occur - like if overheating, dehydrated, stressed out, long workout, prior hard workout first, exhausted, caffeine or similar, ect.
All those have the HR inflated what would normally be - which means higher calorie burn when that really isn't happening.
Or if taking meds that can speed up the HR.


Just to share some reality - because for a good long while on MFP - HRM was thrown out as defacto standard for "accurate" calorie burn - by people that had no clue on the limitations - and the fad started for using it for that purpose rather than it's created purpose of improving cardio workouts based on HR.

ferd_ttp5

heybales wrote: »

And since your desire for use seems to be about calorie burn - which was NOT it's intended first usefulness as a tool - something to keep in mind.

The formula for calculating calorie burn from HR is ONLY valid for steady-state (same HR for 2-4 min) aerobic exercise.

Anything else will be inflated, either below the low end like daily use, or above the upper end like anaerobic sprinting, or your HR bouncing all over the place like lifting or intervals.

The closer your workouts are to those outside ranges, the worse the accuracy.

In addition, depending on how the HRM estimates it figures from your given stats - even those calculations could be pretty iffy.
Like if only gender, age, weight, height - it's going to be assuming if your BMI (height/weight) is bad for your gender/age - then your fitness level is going to be bad too. That's not always a good assumption.

Also, there are many reasons why you will get a HR elevated higher than what would normally occur - like if overheating, dehydrated, stressed out, long workout, prior hard workout first, exhausted, caffeine or similar, ect.
All those have the HR inflated what would normally be - which means higher calorie burn when that really isn't happening.
Or if taking meds that can speed up the HR.


Just to share some reality - because for a good long while on MFP - HRM was thrown out as defacto standard for "accurate" calorie burn - by people that had no clue on the limitations - and the fad started for using it for that purpose rather than it's created purpose of improving cardio workouts based on HR.

Yes, i always exercise steady state cardio exercises 5-7x a week like biking mostly and running/walking. Can i ask a one favor? Can you give me the basic mathematics formula in calculating Heart Rate Based Caloric Expenditure? If you only know it i can't find a actual formula from web maybe here i can later i will post it at the forum

Machka9

You use an HRM to calculate training zones.

So you put it on and go all out as hard as you can on a steep hill to get your max HR, then you calculate your training zones from that.

You don't use it for calorie expenditure because it simply isn't accurate for that.

heybales

It's not an easy formula - calculations are done to estimate HRmax and VO2max, then those are used in another formula.

Here is a Polar funded study that gives a formula that does the above, but it's missing the ability to enter those figures if known or a better estimate for HRmax.

www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm

This site uses that formula rather strictly, so good place to make it easy.

http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.shtml

ferd_ttp5

heybales wrote: »

It's not an easy formula - calculations are done to estimate HRmax and VO2max, then those are used in another formula.

Here is a Polar funded study that gives a formula that does the above, but it's missing the ability to enter those figures if known or a better estimate for HRmax.

www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm

This site uses that formula rather strictly, so good place to make it easy.

http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.shtml

Thanks up! I don't really like math but i find that math is anywhere even in weight loss/management lol

heybales

"Especially in" weight loss & management. I don't think it's a matter of "even in".

Anyone that thinks it needn't be is setting themselves up for failure. And a majority do actually for maintaining.

Yes, math is everywhere, and the inability for many to handle basic concepts is scary, but proven out in so many ways in life.

TimothyFish

ferd_ttp5 wrote: »

heybales wrote: »

And since your desire for use seems to be about calorie burn - which was NOT it's intended first usefulness as a tool - something to keep in mind.

The formula for calculating calorie burn from HR is ONLY valid for steady-state (same HR for 2-4 min) aerobic exercise.

Anything else will be inflated, either below the low end like daily use, or above the upper end like anaerobic sprinting, or your HR bouncing all over the place like lifting or intervals.

The closer your workouts are to those outside ranges, the worse the accuracy.

In addition, depending on how the HRM estimates it figures from your given stats - even those calculations could be pretty iffy.
Like if only gender, age, weight, height - it's going to be assuming if your BMI (height/weight) is bad for your gender/age - then your fitness level is going to be bad too. That's not always a good assumption.

Also, there are many reasons why you will get a HR elevated higher than what would normally occur - like if overheating, dehydrated, stressed out, long workout, prior hard workout first, exhausted, caffeine or similar, ect.
All those have the HR inflated what would normally be - which means higher calorie burn when that really isn't happening.
Or if taking meds that can speed up the HR.


Just to share some reality - because for a good long while on MFP - HRM was thrown out as defacto standard for "accurate" calorie burn - by people that had no clue on the limitations - and the fad started for using it for that purpose rather than it's created purpose of improving cardio workouts based on HR.

Yes, i always exercise steady state cardio exercises 5-7x a week like biking mostly and running/walking. Can i ask a one favor? Can you give me the basic mathematics formula in calculating Heart Rate Based Caloric Expenditure? If you only know it i can't find a actual formula from web maybe here i can later i will post it at the forum

The formula is this:

1. look up the MET data for the activity
2. use the heartrate to determine intensity level
3. report the calories burned as a sum of multiple periods of various intensities