Are the calories on cardio machines pretty acurate???

Kimblesnbits

So i've wondered this for the longest time ever! I've been doing the elliptical machine (starting at level 5 then go up to about 8 at the speed of 80) for 25 mins each day and the machine says I burn 350. Although when i do the stairmaster, I sweat so much more and feel a lot more tired but only burn about 250 for 25 mins at level 8ish. Also, do you burn more calories the more you sweat?

Shua456

With the newer machines if you enter your data in they are fairly accurate (at least they line up with MFP pretty closely).

jbug100

The elliptical machine at my gym overestimates calories burned by about 25% according to my polat ft4 hrm. I still lost 25 lbs using the machine estimates and mfp. Just recently got the hrm. On the bright side, mfp underestimates my strength training cals burned!

cardbucfan

Some machines are pretty close to my HRM (stairmaster) and a couple of the ellipticals. Others are off by as much as 50%!! I always use my HRM and strongly recommend you get one if you can afford it.

kinkyslinky16

the ellipitical machine overestimates my calories as well.. It will say I burned 440 calories but my bodybugg said 382.

jonikeffer

If the machine lets you input your weight, age etc it will be more accurate, but my understanding is that they overestimate by about 20% typically. Your average heart rate over the course of your workout is a much better indicator. I have a really basic model and it doesn't tell me cals, but it gives me my average and max HR, and I go to a website that has a calculator where you input your average HR, age, weight, time spent....to figure out the cals.
PS - I have a Polar FT1 monitor.

pixietoes

For some people they are remarkably accurate. For some they are easily 20% off in one direction or another. The only way to know for sure is to use a heart rate monitor. On the other hand, you can use the information from the elliptical as a benchmark to judge how hard you're working, day to day and that is very useful information, too.

Swilson87

Nope...

mursey

If you don't enter you age, sex, and weight, you might as well be guessing what your calories burned are. I always use a heart rate monitor WITH your age, sex, and weight in it.

If you don't enter anything into the machine, I think it's guessing you are a man around 150 to 200 pounds or something. . . or at least someone bigger than I am, because it always overestimates what I have really burned.