Difference in men and women for calories burned

tnkhart

I am 5-7 156 lbs. My wife is 5-3 139 lbs. I use a Polar FT7M and she used a Polar FT4F, both with chest straps. We did P90X Plyometrics together yesterday. I burned 598 calories and she burned 390. We both hit it hard but I'm wondering why her calories burned are so much lower ? Is that normal ? I'm actually wondering if we accidentally switched transmitters on our chest straps but I don't think that would make the difference. Watches yes. Comments appreciated, Thank you

beccarockslife

Totally normal. Men have a higher % of active tissue (muscle) than women generally so they will burn more calories.

JRMcCaghren

On average, a man burns around 300 calories a day more than a woman. When exercising, the difference becomes ever more dramatic.

shawnscott5

For us women, that totally sucks. We can work just as hard and burn twice as less. That is just really poopy!!

silkysly

Because she is smaller. I weigh 125 & a friend is much thicker. She ALWAYS burns more than me. It boils down to math...

Hopeinanguish

Yep, that's reality. More muscle tissue equates to a higher burn. Do you feel sorry for us yet?

tnkhart

Ladies, thank you all for your responses. Now we know and understand WHY. My wife is not happy about this but your responses gave her a good chuckle. I know I would be frustrated if the tables were turned but remember why you do what you do. You have made a decission to be fit and healthy. I'm going to repost below something that has always inspired me. Thank you and have a great weekend.

tnkhart

""It's a lifestyle, not a diet. It's a marathon, not a sprint. It's not about one day, one week, or even a month. It's about the rest of our lives, as long as we focus on giving our bodies what they need--good quality fuel and good quality exercise""

Azdak

There is no way a HRM can tell the difference in muscle mass between one individual and another. Muscle mass is never a factor in any of the standard metabolic prediction equations, nor have I ever seen it identified as an independent variable that must be accounted for in a research study.

The primary factors in calorie expenditure are intensity and body mass.

Between the variability inherent in the HRM and the variability in movement patterns when doing something like P90X, there is virtually no way to accurately make the kind of comparison you are trying to make.