Can one wear the Polar F6 all day to check actual calories?

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slieber
slieber Posts: 765 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just wondering. I wear it for up to 3 hours when doing gym and ballet, and noticed that it calculates heart rate and calories even when I'm in between gym and class - sometimes it's a half-hour between those.

I was just curious if I could use it to do a real-time calculation of what I burn all day....

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  • slieber
    slieber Posts: 765 Member
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    Just wondering. I wear it for up to 3 hours when doing gym and ballet, and noticed that it calculates heart rate and calories even when I'm in between gym and class - sometimes it's a half-hour between those.

    I was just curious if I could use it to do a real-time calculation of what I burn all day....
  • Zara11
    Zara11 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    Why not? I'm really tempted to buy one just for that reason - I have an approximation of how much I eat, and I'm worried that I burn far more than I think and thus don't eat enough!
  • chantybear
    chantybear Posts: 343
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    I wore mine for about 4 hours sitting around, and multiplied it by 6. MFP said I was burning around 1400 cals a day, but I have a oddly high HR a majority of the time (attempting to correct), and I actually was burning around 3,500
  • nightangelstars
    nightangelstars Posts: 337 Member
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    I wore mine for about 4 hours sitting around, and multiplied it by 6. MFP said I was burning around 1400 cals a day, but I have a oddly high HR a majority of the time (attempting to correct), and I actually was burning around 3,500

    Well that's not going to be totally accurate because it doesn't take into account your metabolic slowdown while you sleep (hopefully 8-9 hours per night). I suppose you could wear it for a whole day and just see what you get. I wouldn't use that for here, though.
  • chantybear
    chantybear Posts: 343
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    Nightangelstars - It would be actually around 4,500...but I estimated it to 3,500, and I do not use it for here either.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    You could, but it wouldn't be entirely accurate. Your actual BMR is based on oxygen consumption, not heart rate. Although the two are related, there's not an entirely linear positive correlation.
  • MisoSoup79
    MisoSoup79 Posts: 517
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    I wore mine for about 4 hours sitting around, and multiplied it by 6. MFP said I was burning around 1400 cals a day, but I have a oddly high HR a majority of the time (attempting to correct), and I actually was burning around 3,500

    Well that's not going to be totally accurate because it doesn't take into account your metabolic slowdown while you sleep (hopefully 8-9 hours per night). I suppose you could wear it for a whole day and just see what you get. I wouldn't use that for here, though.

    I have to agree with this. You can't take into account only your HR while you are awake. I have tried wearing it while napping and my HR dips considerably lower while asleep than while I am sitting at the computer or watching TV. If you're going to use a "sample" try wearing it for a nap and using that sample to calculate your sleeping portion of the day. There is a big difference.
  • slieber
    slieber Posts: 765 Member
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    I'm not actually thinking of the sleeping part, just finding what I actually burn throughout the day. For example, if I'm resting my HR is about 50-55 at this stage of my life and fitness (measured by a doctor!!). But I do notice that movement, of course, raises the HR to anywhere from 70-98 depending on what I'm doing. Not exercise movement, just standard acts, like walking to a place, sitting, coughing, etc.

    I'm curious what I actually burn throughout the day vs. what's on MFP as a weight loss gauge, not that I would change MFP's, because it's working so far. Natural curiosity....

    What I'm worried about is will it damage the unit to DO that for a day? I read somewhere that these aren't meant for all day wearing so that's why I'm concerned.
  • RKA625
    RKA625 Posts: 151 Member
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    You could try a body bugg, those are meant for all day wear. My mom lost a ton using that.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    I'm not actually thinking of the sleeping part, just finding what I actually burn throughout the day. For example, if I'm resting my HR is about 50-55 at this stage of my life and fitness (measured by a doctor!!). But I do notice that movement, of course, raises the HR to anywhere from 70-98 depending on what I'm doing. Not exercise movement, just standard acts, like walking to a place, sitting, coughing, etc.

    I'm curious what I actually burn throughout the day vs. what's on MFP as a weight loss gauge, not that I would change MFP's, because it's working so far. Natural curiosity....

    What I'm worried about is will it damage the unit to DO that for a day? I read somewhere that these aren't meant for all day wearing so that's why I'm concerned.

    I exercised way more than an hour a day and my HRM died after about 6 months, and it's supposed to last a year. So it will shorten the battery lifespan, but one day won't make a huge difference. Since you HR is so low, the HRM may underestimate your calories burned. The only way to get an accurate measurement is with an RMR test that measures oxygen consumption.
  • slieber
    slieber Posts: 765 Member
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    What's a body bugg?

    And what's a RMR test?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    What's a body bugg?

    A little doo-hickey you wear on your arm. It measures heat production (calorie burning) and movement, as well as other things I believe. It runs about $400 retail but you can rent them monthly. I forget from where though. :laugh:
  • slieber
    slieber Posts: 765 Member
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    EEK! I don't think I'll get one, even if it is rent-able. Thanks for that info.

    What's a RMR test?
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    You could, but it wouldn't be entirely accurate. Your actual BMR is based on oxygen consumption, not heart rate. Although the two are related, there's not an entirely linear positive correlation.

    Polars have an input for VO2 Max as well, if you do that, they say, on their website, it's about 98% accurate. It's in the extended settings section. You can either just put it in based on your testing, or get it done at a place that offers them (many colleges and therapy centers have the equipment). I realize if you do it yourself it's only an estimate, so it won't be perfect unless you get it done professionally, but it should be able to get you close.

    I did it twice, and my Daily maintenance came out to be about 2700 calories each time, which is about spot on for my maintenance. You really do have to wear it the full 24 hours though, you can't just wear it a couple then estimate, that can be many hundreds off. One caveat, you can't wear it on a day where you exercise at all.

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