Exercising with slow metabolism

combovers

I've recently been put on Beta Blockers, the main purpose of them is to lower my heart rate to help anxiety symptoms (as opposed to problems with high blood pressure, which is what they are usually prescribed for). I have read that this type of medication can actually slow down your metabolism.

My main question is that when exercising, because my heart rate is lower than normal, are the calories burned also reduced? I don't have a HRM, but going by the machines at the gym I used to get as high as 180, but since I've been on the medication my heart rate only gets to about 120. I'm doing the same sort of intensity as I was before going on the medication, but I was just wondering if I should maybe log the calories burned as less on MFP?

The machines at the gym take my height, weight, age & heart rate into account when working out calories burned, however the rate has stayed the same since going onto the medication.
For example 10minutes on the crosstrainer/ elliptical may have burned 50 calories before taking the medication, but it still shows as 50 calories now that my heart rate has reduced. That can't be right can it?

I'd appreciate any insight!

froeschli

i just read a thread on the (in)accuracy of HRM calorie values as opposed to some of the machines. i believe this, and the one it links to might be of interest to you:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/429688-new-hrm-how-to-make-the-calorie-estimate-more-accurate

i would think since your body mass is the same, and the workload as well, the only actual difference would be your heart muscle not working quite as hard. i don't think that it would be huge numbers though... (no personally researched scientific backup on that theory though)