HRM and improved fitness

SteveHunt113

I'm wondering if anyone here had done any research to determine if, as we get into better shape, our bodies burn fewer calories doing similar training routines. I purchased a HRM back in January, when I started a new HIIT routine. In the beginning my HRM said I was burning upwards of 700 calories during a 45 minute workout. Towards the end of the 12 week program, my workout intensity went up, but my caloric burn according to my HRM had gone down to the mid 400's. During this time frame I had noticed many indicators that I was becoming more fit (working harder to get my HR up, lower resting HR, etc).

I'm just curious how much we can rely on our HRM. Does our fitness level change the accuracy of what our HRM tells us? I realize they only make an educated guess about caloric burn in the first place, I just want to know if that guess is still about as accurate before someone becomes fit as after.

smor27

The HRm adjusts your calorie burn from a couple of different things. Your current body weight is one of them
As your weght changes and you adjust it on your HRM it calculates the adjustments. a 300 lb person can walk 2mph for 30 mins is going to burn 264 calories where as a 180 lb person can walk that same amount and only burn 144 calories. It also goes on the amount of effort you put forth as well.

hbrittingham

I don't have any research to back it up, but I do know that the better conditioned I become, the less calories I burn or the more intense my workouts need to be to burn the same number of calories as before.

KelseyDawn84

I've heard it's because your body gets effecient at whatever it's doing. You really do put in less effort than you did when you started training.

peaceinside

I have read that this is the case. Can't find a lot on it now because I am at work but here is one quick link.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/300582-do-fat-people-burn-more-calories/
Peace!

SteveHunt113

Doing some of my own research, I came across this article. Not related, but I did bookmark it so I could use it the next time someone starts talking about "fat burning zones". It does a good job of saying what I've been trying to tell people for years.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/busting-the-great-myths-of-fat-burning.html

SteveHunt113

I'm not having any luck finding any good articles on this topic ... only many people spewing their own personal beliefs. Went to a yahoo answer page where 20 people provided 20 different ideas, many of them conflicting each other and none of them siting any real research.

But, here are some facts I think I can rely on, which should give me my answer:

1) The heavier a person is, the more calories they will burn in load baring exercises (running, walking, etc)
2) Your heart rate responds to your bodies need for oxygen
3) I person who is fit will not breath as heavy as a person who is not fit while doing the same exercise.

So, my conclusion is that, as you get fit, you will burn less calories doing the same exercise. I base this first on my own observations about my won heart rate. As I got more fit, I had to work harder to get my heart rate to a certain level. This tells me my body needed less oxygen to perform the task, leading me to believe my body had become more efficient, needed to work less hard to do the same thing.

In the same way, I had to work harder to get my breathing rate to the same level, though this might also be attributed to better lung capacity ... don't know. But if I assume my HR is lower at the same activity level, then I don't need to breath as hard and fast because I don't need the extra oxygen I did before becoming fit.

All of this leads me to believe that, yes, I am truly burning less calories now that I am more fit than I was 3 months ago. I'm not even taking into consideration the 30 pounds of weight lost....

michellekicks

I'm not having any luck finding any good articles on this topic ... only many people spewing their own personal beliefs. Went to a yahoo answer page where 20 people provided 20 different ideas, many of them conflicting each other and none of them siting any real research.

But, here are some facts I think I can rely on, which should give me my answer:

1) The heavier a person is, the more calories they will burn in load baring exercises (running, walking, etc)
2) Your heart rate responds to your bodies need for oxygen
3) I person who is fit will not breath as heavy as a person who is not fit while doing the same exercise.

So, my conclusion is that, as you get fit, you will burn less calories doing the same exercise. I base this first on my own observations about my won heart rate. As I got more fit, I had to work harder to get my heart rate to a certain level. This tells me my body needed less oxygen to perform the task, leading me to believe my body had become more efficient, needed to work less hard to do the same thing.

In the same way, I had to work harder to get my breathing rate to the same level, though this might also be attributed to better lung capacity ... don't know. But if I assume my HR is lower at the same activity level, then I don't need to breath as hard and fast because I don't need the extra oxygen I did before becoming fit.

All of this leads me to believe that, yes, I am truly burning less calories now that I am more fit than I was 3 months ago. I'm not even taking into consideration the 30 pounds of weight lost....

^ What he said.