Is my HRM accurate?

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Ange_
Ange_ Posts: 324 Member
edited October 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Yesterday i did a moderately passed walk for an hour with my partner. According to my Suunto M4 HRM i burned 405 calories. average HR 114, peak 132.
This seems like an awfully high number of calories just for a walk. My boyfriend was carrying an iPhone at the time that was also recording our walk and it thought based on the distance, time and speed using the inbuilt GPS that we would have only done about half of that. His iPhone app though didn't have any personal details in it like weight or age or anything and didn't measure HR of course.

Do you think my HRM reading was accurate?
One thing i've never entered into it is my resting heart rate. It has just used the default 60 bpm. Perhaps this could be the cause? However when i've previously compared it to gym equipment HRMs attached to machines it has also been fairly close.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    If your HR got up to 132 with an average of 114, you were getting your HR up and I don't think 405 cals for an hour would be out of the question.
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    hard to tell! the calculation should rely on your height, weight and gender.......

    I can't tell as your profile is private.

    I can burn that in one hour if I am REALLY moving fast paced....(5'9" 123 pounds and thin muscles - not bulky at all)

    so it just depends....
  • Tiffysinsanity
    Tiffysinsanity Posts: 69 Member
    That's probably right. I've walked 45 min and burned just a tad over 300. If you aren't really sure I'm sure you could ask one of the trainers at your gym and they'd be willing to answer.
  • AndriaLL
    AndriaLL Posts: 162
    Do you have your HRM programmed with your actual weight, sex, age, etc.? If so, it's going to be quite accurate.
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    another way to look at this is that 405 calories divided by 60 minutes is about 6.75 cals per minute burned. You probably burn 1.5 more or less by just sitting. So while briskly walking it is very possible to burn an additional 5 calories or so in the same minute...

    But it depends on how heavy you are to begin with.
  • Ange_
    Ange_ Posts: 324 Member
    yes it is programmed with my height and weight. I think i'll still try and program it to have my resting heart rate sometime in the future (which is supposed to make it even more accurate). Problem is finding a time when i haven't just drank coffee or been walking around etc.
    I guess i'll trust i though. Thanks for all your advice.
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