Anyone else's HRM say that they burn MORE than the machines?

skinnyitaliannn
skinnyitaliannn Posts: 187
in Health and Weight Loss
When I didn't have my heart rate monitor, the machines would say one run would burn around 150-200 calories. I just went on maybe an hour long run, and I burned 710 calories. Does anybody else get this too? It seems like most people have the opposite effect: the machines saying more than the HRM!

Replies

  • wrbiii
    wrbiii Posts: 151
    I can't afford a hrm right now, but I would assume I burn more than the machine says.
  • rumpusparable
    rumpusparable Posts: 160
    Mine always shows that I burn more than the machine says, yes.
  • skinnyitaliannn
    skinnyitaliannn Posts: 187
    Good to know I'm not the only one. When I bought it I was shocked at how much more my body burned then I'd thought.
  • rininger85
    rininger85 Posts: 131
    neither are extremely accurate unless you find one that asks for your height, weight, age, etc. then monitors your HR to calculate the calories burned, and even then its just an estimate. Use the more conservative (lower number of cals burned) and feel good about the fact that you might have actually burned more than that...
  • shadey152
    shadey152 Posts: 12 Member
    The HRM is more accurate. The machine only calculate based on weight, height, age, and if you are on an expensive machine your heart rate average from a few reads. The HRM constantly takes you heart rate and uses it plus other information to get an accurate estimate of calories burned... With that in mind if your heart rate is higher than the average the machine guestimated then your calories burned will be higher and vice versa :)
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I don't use machines, but according to my HRM I burn way more doing at-home workouts than what MFP thinks. I typically don't eat back most of my exercise calories so it doesn't really matter for me, but I was surprised to see that especially since most other people seem to have the opposite problem like you said.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    I have a polar FT4 and I always burn way more than the machines say. My heart rate is always up really high when I'm working out, seemingly higher than the machines expect. It's programmed to my height, weight, gender etc so I trust my HRM over the machines.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    It used to. Last night, after not being on the treadmill for a long time, was the first time my HRM said less than the machine. The more fit I get, and the more weight I lose, the fewer calories I burn and I'm now hitting the threshhold of being less than the machines. It kind of sucks LOL.

    I believe the machines are calibrated for average fitness but many of us are not as fit as 'average' thus the machine underestimates. And for those that are more fit, the machines overestimate.
  • skinnyitaliannn
    skinnyitaliannn Posts: 187
    I definitely trust my FT4 over the machines. My heart rate is way higher then the machine says too. Sometimes I get up to 195 the most. Sadly my zone is only up to 170, but what's the point of challenging myself then? lol

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