Calories burned...complex question

courtney_love2001

I have a complex exercise question. First off, I don't have a heart rate monitor, but I am getting one for Christmas. Until then, I am pondering something.

I just went for a run and I take walk breaks in between when I get a side stitch or I feel one coming on. These walk breaks generally last 3-5 minutes. I went for a 40 minute run/walk and I just calculate my calories as 25 minutes run at 6 mph and walk 3.5 mph for 15 minutes. I am disappointed at how little calories this burns, and I am busting my butt. I took my heart rate when I stopped running and it was 192. When I began running again it was 168 (normal resting hr is 75). So I feel like I am doing myself a disservice because I am underestimating my calories by saying just walking at 3.5 mph which is my normal walk rate, even though my hr is elevated way above normal. Does this make any sense? Anyone have any insight or those with a hrm, am I making sense???

AnneElise

How many calories does it say you are burning? I think that you should count your 15 minutes as walking because you ARE walking... plus it is better to underestimate your calories than to overestimate your calories to make sure you are losing weight. For 25 minute run you should be burned around 250 calories and the walk should be around 80. At least that is what it is for me. That seems like a decent amount burned! Just keep working hard.

AnneElise

Sorry, I just noticed that you have lost 36 lbs already! Do what you are doing! It seems to be working for you

csingleton24

Do you know the distance you are running? 2 miles, 3 miles, etc? I would add your TOTAL time including walking and running and divide it with the miles to get an the mph. Then look it up on the log and go from there. That's the way I do it.

EX: I run/walk 3 miles in 31 minutes...so that's about a 10 minute mile, check the log and click the 10 minute mile box. Sometimes I know I am running super fast, but then I hit a huge hill and it slows me down so I just go off the total.

Hope this helps.

Azdak

The intensity of an activity is pretty much a fixed value, regardless of your heart rate.

For example, running 6 mph (10min mile) uses 35 ml of oxygen per Kg body wt per minute, or 10 METs. It's the same absolute intensity for you at a heart rate of 192 as it is for me at a heart rate of 120. It may *feel* harder if it is a higher percentage of your maximum than it is mine, but that is a relative number--it is still 10 METs for either of us.

At your weight, and given the minutes of each activity you describe, your caloric expenditure is approximately 305 Calories for the run part and 65 for the walk part for a total of 370 Calories for the workout.

Is there a *carryover* from the running part of your workout during the walking intervals, i.e. is your oxygen consumption still elevated from the run while you are walking? It's possible that there is some extra caloric burn. However, there is no standard way to quantify that number and therefore it is not included in any calculations--on MFP or elsewhere. The elevated heart rate itself is not evidence of a post-running "afterburn" effect.

courtney_love2001

Thanks guys, I think I get it. I didn't know if there was an "afterburn" so to speak, so it's good to know. I like your scientific evidence, azdak, good stuff! Thanks for all your responses! And I'm sure when I do get my hrm it will help me to be more definite in my calorie calculations....hurry up Christmas!

csingleton24

I'm getting a HRM for Christmas, too. I can't wait. Today we went up to Diamond Head (LOTS of stairs and high elevation) but I have no way of getting an actually calorie count. I just guesstimated on that too. Hopefully my guesses are pretty close to the real thing! LOL...I'm with you though...Hurry up Christmas!