Swimming Calories... Help!

1MandM1

Hi, I've checked on here and various other websites and 1 hour of breaststroke swimming - general burns around 1000 calories :S

That seems like way WAY too much! Is it right? How fast would you have to be swimming to burn that? :S

Help please x

aymetcalf

On MFP - for me 1hr of breaststroke is 600 cals and 1hr of freestyle at moderate effort is 450 --> I would think this range is more realistic...

vbdave

I have a swim watch that calculates 388 calories for approximately 22 minutes of my freestyle (1000 yds). So it seems that 1000 for an hour of breaststroke may not be completely out of the real of possibility.

Good luck and great swimming.

Dave

1MandM1

On MFP - for me 1hr of breaststroke is 600 cals and 1hr of freestyle at moderate effort is 450 --> I would think this range is more realistic...

Thanks Does it change the amount of calories burned depending on how much you weigh? :S

aymetcalf

On MFP - for me 1hr of breaststroke is 600 cals and 1hr of freestyle at moderate effort is 450 --> I would think this range is more realistic...

Thanks Does it change the amount of calories burned depending on how much you weigh? :S

I'm not sure - but i bet it does make a difference - even with the buoyancy of the water.

simplydelish2

Overall I find that MFP is extremely generous when it comes to giving credit for calories burned. In general, a burn of more than 10 calories per minute (burn 600 calories an hour) isn't going to happen unless you are really pushing it (most of us who aren't elite athletes just don't/can't push it that hard).

Hope this helps!

1MandM1

I have a swim watch that calculates 388 calories for approximately 22 minutes of my freestyle (1000 yds). So it seems that 1000 for an hour of breaststroke may not be completely out of the real of possibility.

Good luck and great swimming.

Dave

Thanks, I might have to get a swim watch, which one do you have? x

FrostyBev

I swim a lot and 1,000 calories in an hour is totally plausible depending on some factors.

Things that can drive your calorie burn up can include but not limited to:
Higher Body weight
Higher Body fat
Total effort
Overall fitness level
Skill

Remember that Breast stroke while often used as a restive stroke is also a competitive stroke. Is your effort level closer to restive or competitive?

I use a HRM now which is far more accurate at calculating my calorie burn. I use to burn `1200+ calories in an hour of freestyle. Now that i've improved my skill, my overall fitness and lowered my average heart rate an hour of freestyle only burns around 650-700.

I use a Polar FT7 as my heart rate monitor. I use it for Swimming/biking/running/hiking and lifting. Even wore it during my Spartan Beast race earlier this year. Awesome tool.

Feel free to add me as a friend or message me if you have any questions.

1MandM1

@FrostyBev usually I'm more competitive than restive but I'm going to take it easy this time. I've bought a swimming watch so hopefully that will be more accurate than MFP. Do you usually eat back your burned calories? x

gshoemaker06

Do you swim the full hour as well? I'll usually swim 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile. Rest for 2/3 minutes grab some water, then do another half mile or so. When I swim for an hour session, I'm probably actually swimming for 40-50 minutes of it.

1MandM1

@gshoemaker06 I'm not sure, I've bought a swimming watch so hopefully that will give me a more accurate number

FrostyBev

@FrostyBev usually I'm more competitive than restive but I'm going to take it easy this time. I've bought a swimming watch so hopefully that will be more accurate than MFP. Do you usually eat back your burned calories? x

I try to always eat back at least half of my calories if not all. I've been working with a dietician/trainer and I'm still to low on calories. I have a really intense training schedule right now and I've lost 6.9 lbs of muscle over the last six weeks.

Dietician/Trainer says I'm still not eating enough and I sometimes gross 5,000+ calories. For instance, last night I did 13.5 mile bike ride with the first 7 miles up hill. I burned just over 1,300 calories in 1h16m. I was already behind in my calories for the day and ended up with way to much of a deficit. BTW, that calorie burn came from my heart rate monitor. MFP was 5 calories more.

Also when I say I swim for an hour that's almost always an hour non-stop. If I've had to stop I pause my HRM until I resume.

ktingram18

I don't put too much faith the the absolute numbers of any of the calorie counters. There are just too many things that change from one person to the next for a generic calorie counter to give an accurate measurement. They are only good to give a relative indication of how much you have burned.

At the same time, I don't trust the calorie content of the food too much either, whether because I only estimate the weight of the food items or because I prepare most of the food that I eat and it just doesn't match the food options.

secretlobster

On MFP - for me 1hr of breaststroke is 600 cals and 1hr of freestyle at moderate effort is 450 --> I would think this range is more realistic...

Thanks Does it change the amount of calories burned depending on how much you weigh? :S

I'm not sure - but i bet it does make a difference - even with the buoyancy of the water.

Yes, your weight does make a difference, because a larger person will burn more calories than a smaller one pulling a larger mass through the water (sorry if this sounds horrible, not sure how I can put it delicately) even if "weight" doesn't really come into play. The factor that has more of an impact than weight itself though, is cardiovascular efficiency. A good swimmer will almost always have an extremely efficient cardiovascular system. And they will probably burn fewer calories per hour than a poor swimmer.

I think MFP's swim calculation is relatively accurate, but since you can't wear most HRMs in the water, I usually figure about 100 calories per 20 minutes of moderate swimming (I'm a 136lb female)

Pandorian

Try "exercise > database" pick your swim or whatever from the drop down list in the top right corner.
on the bottom right it asks your weight and how long you did the activity. You can see by changing the weight that yes weight IS used to calculate your burn.

nursenessa1

10 calorie per minute is an interesting idea. What is your source? Great way to guestimate if you don't believe mfp.

heybales

Excellent info FrostyBev.

Goes to show that depending on your activity and level of intensity - you may be in agreement with MFP.

I've found the walking ones if done flat are correct, because there is pace involved. Once incline enters the picture and MFP doesn't know about that and my increased effort - all is gone.

Biking, while it has pace categories, is too variable for hills and wind and my own resistance.

Strength training has been right on.

Swimming was close, but like you, more efficient now and not swimming that fast overall, so probably MFP estimate too high.
I'll bet some swim sites have calories based on some pace categories, since it's so easy to figure out pace.
Only difference there would be more weight is likely more fat, more float, easier.

Glad you gave the warning on muscle loss too. And you don't have to be at your level either to experience that. 1 hr elliptical every day at huge intensity will do the same thing if you don't eat enough. Specifically carbs after the workout before the next one.

FrostyBev

Excellent info FrostyBev.

Goes to show that depending on your activity and level of intensity - you may be in agreement with MFP.

I've found the walking ones if done flat are correct, because there is pace involved. Once incline enters the picture and MFP doesn't know about that and my increased effort - all is gone.

Biking, while it has pace categories, is too variable for hills and wind and my own resistance.

Strength training has been right on.

Swimming was close, but like you, more efficient now and not swimming that fast overall, so probably MFP estimate too high.
I'll bet some swim sites have calories based on some pace categories, since it's so easy to figure out pace.
Only difference there would be more weight is likely more fat, more float, easier.

Glad you gave the warning on muscle loss too. And you don't have to be at your level either to experience that. 1 hr elliptical every day at huge intensity will do the same thing if you don't eat enough. Specifically carbs after the workout before the next one.

Thanks!

Because of all the variables I find my heart rate monitor has been the best at calculating my calories. Even in the pool it seems to do well. I know nothing is 100% but HRM is pretty dang close.