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How accurate/inaccurate is MapMyWalk?

stephieleee
Posts: 113 Member
Hey All,
I used the MapMyWalk app for the first time today and I find it hard to believe that I burned 500 calories during 60 minutes of average paced walking...
Is this app a reliable way to record exercise calories or does anyone have any suggestions of something more reliable? I dont want be logging more calories burned than I actually have.
Thanks!
I used the MapMyWalk app for the first time today and I find it hard to believe that I burned 500 calories during 60 minutes of average paced walking...
Is this app a reliable way to record exercise calories or does anyone have any suggestions of something more reliable? I dont want be logging more calories burned than I actually have.
Thanks!

0
Replies
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i think walking is bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles
i always found MFP pretty accurate for walking calories1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »i think walking is bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles
i always found MFP pretty accurate for walking calories
Hmmm using that formula it would have been closer to about 200 calories.2 -
I used MapMy suite a few times and their calorie estimates were dreadfully exaggerated.
Also found Runkeeper a bit generous.
It's difficult to compare as various apps seem to try to estimate your gross calories whereas really you want to know your net calories - that's what the formula from @TavistockToad is providing.
The difference between net and gross is far more significant for long duration, low rate of burn exercise.
3 -
I used MapMy suite a few times and their calorie estimates were dreadfully exaggerated.
Also found Runkeeper a bit generous.
It's difficult to compare as various apps seem to try to estimate your gross calories whereas really you want to know your net calories - that's what the formula from @TavistockToad is providing.
The difference between net and gross is far more significant for long duration, low rate of burn exercise.
That's what I thought it might be doing. Might just have to stick with that formula in future to make sure I'm not overestimating my exercise calories. Thanks!0 -
what does the .3 represent in the formula?0
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The maps should be accurate. The calories, those basically assume the air is molasses and you have to fight your way through every step.0
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I did a quick walk here at work, only 6 minute at .12 miles. It says I burned 40 calories. Based on the formula I really burned 11 so it's VERY inaccurate.0
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stephieleee wrote: »Hey All,
I used the MapMyWalk app for the first time today and I find it hard to believe that I burned 500 calories during 60 minutes of average paced walking...
Is this app a reliable way to record exercise calories or does anyone have any suggestions of something more reliable? I dont want be logging more calories burned than I actually have.
Thanks!
The mileage is accurate but the calorie burns are not. I have compared them to what MFP gives me and what my fitness tracker gives me and the tracker is the least number of calories burned so I go with that.
1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »i think walking is bodyweight in lbs x 0.3 x distance in miles
i always found MFP pretty accurate for walking calories
That's what I use; I rounded my weight down to 150 to make the math easier and the estimate slightly more conservative and use 45 a mile. There are charts with weights and speeds you can find searching around and some seem to have some good science behind them and they tend to come in a little higher but nothing like MMW. It is true that brisk walking is less efficient from an energy conservation POV, so you do burn a little more with faster walking. Running is really inefficient, which give it the double whammy over walking - you burn more calories per mile and cover miles faster.
I quit tracking walks individually and track steps on my phone and figure about 2500 steps a mile. I like using the phone so I don't throw it off exercising. I use Pacer and don't let it auto post. I only compute and post if I do a lot of walking and even then I ignore the first couple of miles.0 -
what does the .3 represent in the formula?
@Damian45
0.3 represents the efficiency ratio of walking.
For "normal speed" running it is commonly given as 0.63 as running is roughly half as efficient a motion as walking (accelerating your weight upwards when running is effectively wasted energy).1
This discussion has been closed.
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