Are the calories burned on excersize equipment accurate?

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I was just curious to hear everyones opinion of whether they think the ditigal calorie counters that are on cardio equipment are very accurate or not. I overheard some people next to me on the elliptical today debating the issue, and it made me curious/ :ohwell:

Any thoughts??

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  • tbrown1025
    tbrown1025 Posts: 165
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    I think they are more of a guide, a best estimate for the average person. If the machine allows for settings so you can enter gender, height, age, etc. then it would be more accurate. But in general, I the range can vary from person to person.
  • omid990
    omid990 Posts: 785 Member
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    not really. treadmills and bikes are more accurate than ellipticals. Personally, i've always just taken half of what the machines give me. I've read that you should put in 5-10 pounds less than what you actually weigh and then subtract 20% off of that. The most accurate reading comes from an HRM.
    :heart: aisha