heart rate monitors?

megletgroves
megletgroves Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
Does a heart rate monitor tell you how many calories you are burning at any given time? I thought they were only good for making sure your heart rate got in the "target zone."

Replies

  • Kailuen
    Kailuen Posts: 58 Member
    Some are able to also tell you how many calories are being burned! Just look through some on amazon.
  • megletgroves
    megletgroves Posts: 14
    Thanks so much!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    if set up with your height, weight, age and ideally VO2max then they tell you your calorie burn reasonably accurately especially at elevated heart rates (above 90-100). They include the calories you would burn sitting down.
  • crafty30
    crafty30 Posts: 132 Member
    Yes mine does, Its a Polar one..I think its pretty accurate! I had to put it in my age and weight and you can put in your Vo2max but I have no idea what that is so I didnt do that! It seems to be similar to what other people put for similar exercise so I use it to log my exercise calories on here.. I use mine all the time, especially when I run so I think they are a good thing to have definitely. Mine was pretty cheap too and it seems to do a perfectly good job!
  • Bssh
    Bssh Posts: 123
    I have a Polar FT4 HRM and use it for workouts. Can I keep it recording all day long to see how many calories I burn even sitting at my desk or walking up the stairs?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    VO2max is explained at http://www.brianmac.co.uk/vo2max.htm - scroll down for various tests you can do to estimate it.

    You can use an HRM all day and it'll estimate your total calorie burn, including your BMR etc. Not sure how accurat eit will be, but mine seemed about right recording me sitting for 15 minutes.
  • crafty30
    crafty30 Posts: 132 Member
    VO2max is explained at http://www.brianmac.co.uk/vo2max.htm - scroll down for various tests you can do to estimate it.

    You can use an HRM all day and it'll estimate your total calorie burn, including your BMR etc. Not sure how accurat eit will be, but mine seemed about right recording me sitting for 15 minutes.

    Thanks for posting this, thats really helpful :-)
  • megletgroves
    megletgroves Posts: 14
    Thanks for posting everyone! That was really helpful!

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