Heart rate vs perceived exertion

lthames0810
lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've noticed that when I bicycle at my usual pace, my heart rate monitor gives me an average of around 150 bpm and I would rate my exertion at about 7 out of 10. When I swim, my heart rate is higher than that, but it feels like much less exertion, maybe 5 out of 10. When I run, once my heart rate reaches 150, I have to stop and walk because I feel like I'm about to pass out - an exertion of 10 out of 10.

If I did an hour of each these, my heart rate monitor would show the same calorie burn, but that just doesn't seem plausible.

I'm wondering if the cycling and swimming, not being weight bearing excercises, should be given much less calorie burn than running when I log them.

What do you think?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I think something is wrong with your HRM
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    If I did an hour of each these, my heart rate monitor would show the same calorie burn, but that just doesn't seem plausible.

    Depending on the distances, that might be right. So how far do you go in an hour, for each of these three exercises?
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    Cycling I go about 15 miles. Swimming I go about a mile and a half. Running (well, running and walking) about 3 miles.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Cycling I go about 15 miles. Swimming I go about a mile and a half. Running (well, running and walking) about 3 miles.

    As a rough frame of reference, a 200 pound person free styling for 1.5 miles is burning about 550 calories. A 200 pound person jogging for 3 miles (ignoring the walking) is burning about 400 calories. The cycling will be about 450 calories, "depending".

    Looks to me like they're all in the same ballpark.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    How long have you been running?

    When I started the C25K, I had been using the ARC trainer at the gym for about a year, going hard and sweating like a pig. I got on the treadmill for the first 60 second of jogging and literally thought I was going to die. My heart rate was around 160, which is what it had been on the ARC trainer regularly. Now when I run, when my heart rate reaches 160, that's a normal, easy run for me.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I find with running the biggest obstacle is breathing. It's so much harder to get your breath that it feels like you're working way harder when you really aren't. As you get more used to the activity and your lung capacity gets better that feeling of wanting to die goes away, well, almost.
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    I have been running on and off (moslty off) for 15 years. I went from long distance open water swimming with a masters team, then started cycling as cross training. Eventually I decided I would do triathlons and that's when I began running. I never got to where I liked it, but it aways seemed to give me the most bang for the buck fitness wise, so I kept making myself do it. Not surprisingly I hated it so much, I would never stay with it long enough to get better. I continue to go back to it as if I think suddenly my attitude will change, but of course it doesn't.

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