Another treadmill qeustion!

Brittany_Kayy

Okay, I had made a post hmm maybe last week about how I thought the calories my treadmill is saying I've burnt is not very accurate. So, I found out through responses, my best way to tell was to get a HRM. I went out on a misson, to sports authority and bought myself the Polar F6 for 100. bucks. I tired it out today and I'm more confused lol, I don't know which is right. I'm sick and not feeling very well, so I only ran for 24 minutes. The treadmill says I burned 161 calories while my Polar F6 says I burned 244 calories in the 24 minutes.
I entered my weight and everything in the F6 and wore the chest strap obviously lol, so I feel like it would be more accurate being you can't even enter a weight into my treadmill. Which should I be going by, the treadmill or the F6.
Thanks guys, you all are always very helpful
-Brittany.

VballLeash

Are you new to running?.. cause you burn more when you first start out.. That sounds about right depending on what speed you were at or if you were doing intervals?... the 244 that is. Hope you feel better!

~Leash

TCASMEY

The HRM is going to be more accurate!

jljune

I also have a polar f6 and I find that my elliptical machine says I burn about 50 calories less than my f6 says I do per 30 minutes of exercise. I would definitely trust your f6, as it reads off of your actual heart rate and would be more accurate than your treadmill. Now one problem I run into when I wear my strap on my elliptical is that since there is also a HRM on my elliptical=my f6 picks up that signal. In the manual for the f6 it says to not wear it within range of another HRM and so I assume that is the reason for the discrepancy. I would enter the 244 for your exercise calories on MFP for sure. Sometimes I just take the difference between the 2 and add 1/2. Great choice on the F6 BTW! I love love love mine!!!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

Brittany_Kayy

No I'm not too new to it. I started out in May walking for a short time then built myself up and before winter came I was walking 2 miles everynight. ( I know that's not a lot for some people, but to me it was) Then the cold weather came and I still walked and even worked up to jogging the whole time, but then it got too cold! ( I live in Ny) so I bought the treadmill for Christmas and have been doing great!

I was on a 6 % incline and a 3.6 speed.. and it says I burnt 244 on the HRM and 161 on the treadmill.

Brittany_Kayy

Thank you!! Today was my first day using it and I loved it!! I loved how if my heart rate was too high it beeped to tell me " slow down" or vice versa!! Its like a mini coach!!! LOL!! I'm glad I picked it for my first HRM Okay, so I guess I shall enter the 244, becuase I feel like it would be more accurate as well. YAY!

I also have a polar f6 and I find that my elliptical machine says I burn about 50 calories less than my f6 says I do per 30 minutes of exercise. I would definitely trust your f6, as it reads off of your actual heart rate and would be more accurate than your treadmill. Now one problem I run into when I wear my strap on my elliptical is that since there is also a HRM on my elliptical=my f6 picks up that signal. In the manual for the f6 it says to not wear it within range of another HRM and so I assume that is the reason for the discrepancy. I would enter the 244 for your exercise calories on MFP for sure. Sometimes I just take the difference between the 2 and add 1/2. Great choice on the F6 BTW! I love love love mine!!!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

DrBorkBork

Trust your HRM. Afterall, it's only a couple of inches away from your life force and sending electrical currents through it like a blackmailing mastermind, LOL.

Brittany_Kayy

Bahaha Okay Thank youuu and thanks for making me laugh today

Trust your HRM. Afterall, it's only a couple of inches away from your life force and sending electrical currents through it like a blackmailing mastermind, LOL.

Azdak

According to the ASCM metabolic prediction equations, you can split the difference. I calculate 208 calories for 24 min (6.73 METS x 77.3 kg: divide the product by 60 and multiply by 24 --if you want to double check my math).

Brittany_Kayy

So, the HRM is wrong? Dang it, this is getting too confusing for me. I just want to know what I'm burning when I'm exercising LOL.

According to the ASCM metabolic prediction equations, you can split the difference. I calculate 208 calories for 24 min (6.73 METS x 77.3 kg: divide the product by 60 and multiply by 24 --if you want to double check my math).

Azdak

Wrong? Not necessarily.

You may still need to tweak the setup of your HRM -- the accuracy of the calorie count depends on the accuracy of the setup--especially VO2 max and HR max. Remember: HRMs do NOT measure calories. They measure heart rate and used HR analysis and other mathematical correlations to estimate caloric expenditure.

Not to mention the fact that the ACSM prediction equations are estimates as well.

Throw it all together and you have a 15% difference between the two numbers. Quite frankly, I don't know that you are going to get any more accurate than that with any method, other than a metabolic cart.

My HRM numbers are consistently 20% less than my treadmill numbers when I run, 25% less than my stairclimber numbers and match my cross trainer numbers almost exactly--probably because the cross trainer machine registers about 20% fewer calories at any given perceived effort than running or the stairclimber.

Plus, my HRM will show a 15%-25% difference between the 1st and 2nd half of some workouts, even when the workload remains constant.

Counting calories is not a precise science--not even close. Your HRM numbers are fine for now.

Brittany_Kayy

Okay.. thank you so much for all the information I really look forward to your responses in topics Again thank you. I'm sorry I'm such a retard at all of this stuff.

Wrong? Not necessarily.

You may still need to tweak the setup of your HRM -- the accuracy of the calorie count depends on the accuracy of the setup--especially VO2 max and HR max. Remember: HRMs do NOT measure calories. They measure heart rate and used HR analysis and other mathematical correlations to estimate caloric expenditure.

Not to mention the fact that the ACSM prediction equations are estimates as well.

Throw it all together and you have a 15% difference between the two numbers. Quite frankly, I don't know that you are going to get any more accurate than that with any method, other than a metabolic cart.

My HRM numbers are consistently 20% less than my treadmill numbers when I run, 25% less than my stairclimber numbers and match my cross trainer numbers almost exactly--probably because the cross trainer machine registers about 20% fewer calories at any given perceived effort than running or the stairclimber.

Plus, my HRM will show a 15%-25% difference between the 1st and 2nd half of some workouts, even when the workload remains constant.

Counting calories is not a precise science--not even close. Your HRM numbers are fine for now.