HRM help...

Shani_j22

I recently bought a Polar FT40 heart rate monitor which I have been using during my Les Mills Combat home workout DVD.

I am wondering, are the calories calculated by the HRM net or gross calories (so do I need to subtract what I would usually burn in that amount of time not working out).

Hope this makes sense.

TIA

chezjuan

As far as I know, HRMs record gross calories. I have a Polar FT4, and when I first got it I would double-check the numbers using an online heart rate-based burn calculator. The numbers of gross calories that the calculator gave would be almost exactly in line with the HRM (for a steady-state cardio workout).

Leeann1979

I have the Polar FT7, and I use this calculator: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx . So I enter in the calorie burn on the HRM and go from there.

It may only be an estimate, but at least its not an overestimate ( I hope lol).

I haven't been able to lose any weight, and I know MFP mega over-estimates calories burned. It blows my mind when I see people burned 578 calories doing an hour of gardening. No you didnt, lol. Plus, we already burn calories just sitting on the couch, so those need to be deducted from the end number of calories burned after exercise.

Good luck!

Athena53

I wore my Polar FT7 while driving to get an idea of what I burned while (mostly) sedentary. It came out to about 90 calories an hour. Yours will vary given your age and weight, but that's a good way to find out.

Shani_j22

Thanks for your replies

blg5

This is an interesting question and I have wondered the same thing myself. My opinion is that when you workout your calorie burn is elevated a little for a while after you workout too. If you think about it this way it just sort of evens out so I log every calorie my HRM gives me during my workout.

ahavoc

I just got a polar F11 on ebay. The f7 and f11 do a test where they calculate your v02 max and use that to help calculate what you have burned based on age and weight. You can test your v02 max here http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/vo2max-calculator.aspx. The f40 lets you enter it, look at your user manual.

Once that was set, I wore my hrm for an hour while I was napping in my chair in the living room. I did this a few times. I took an average of what my burn was just when sleeping, and I subtract that from what my hrm says, as that amount is already configured into the daily calorie average I need to eat.

If your hrm doesn't register any burn, then it might be that it already "subtracts" your resting heart rate. It's very different between HRMs.

Good luck though, because regardless, having a HRM is motivating and a great step towards understanding your body and having a love affair with exercise. Well, it did that for me.