Do you trust your HRM?

nikkionwine
nikkionwine Posts: 49
edited January 12 in Fitness and Exercise
I need some advice. I have a Garmin FR60. I feel like it over estimates my calorie burn...like today, I did a 60 minute aerobics class, Les Mills BODYATTACK, and it said I burned 920 calories. How is that even possible in an hour?! It's a very high intensity class and my heart rate is over 180 for most of it, but I just feel like 920 sounds really high. On Wednesday when I did legs day (lifting) it gave me a count of over 500 in one hour. I just don't know what to think! Do you think they are accurate?

Replies

  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    No
  • Nessa0506
    Nessa0506 Posts: 81
    Sorry to say but the only thing you can trust is what you put in your mouth...

    But yes it is possible to burn 900 calories but most of them are carb calories and not that much fat. Not that it matters...
  • Katrina_F
    Katrina_F Posts: 21 Member
    I trust mine. And from the research I've done you'll burn more overall calories when at the higher end of your max heart rate BUT you burn a greater percentage of fat calories when at a lower intensity. I generally burn 615 calories an hour, I did 925 in 90 minutes the other day.

    I have a Polar FT60 with heart rate monitor chest strap.
  • hatethegame
    hatethegame Posts: 267 Member
    What was your average HR during that 60 minutes? Its very possible you did burn 920 calories.
  • mbz0616
    mbz0616 Posts: 77 Member
    Things to check: Are the settings in the HRM (such as your age, weight, etc) correct? Or maybe it's set up for kilos when you want it to use pounds or vice versa?
  • nikkionwine
    nikkionwine Posts: 49
    What was your average HR during that 60 minutes? Its very possible you did burn 920 calories.

    179. I'm 129lb and 5'7
  • nikkionwine
    nikkionwine Posts: 49
    Things to check: Are the settings in the HRM (such as your age, weight, etc) correct? Or maybe it's set up for kilos when you want it to use pounds or vice versa?

    Yea I double checked, I even changed it last night almost to athlete status (exercise 11-14 hours a week was what I picked) and thought it'd show a lower calorie burn...but today was the highest I've ever gotten in that class
  • misssiri
    misssiri Posts: 335 Member
    Does it have a chest strap? That seems really high.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    HRMs are not accurate for strength training, period.

    HRMs are intended to estimate calories burned for steady state cardio, intervals affect accuracy.

    So in this case, no I would not trust it.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/773451-is-my-hrm-giving-me-incorrect-calorie-burn
    http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75
  • nikkionwine
    nikkionwine Posts: 49
    Sorry to say but the only thing you can trust is what you put in your mouth...

    I know, which is why I wish I had an accurate calorie burn so I knew if I could eat more on some days!
  • nikkionwine
    nikkionwine Posts: 49
    Does it have a chest strap? That seems really high.

    Yep, chest strap. It is high. I have had a MHR over 200 at times. but I also have a fairly high resting heartvrate (80)
  • nikkionwine
    nikkionwine Posts: 49
    HRMs are not accurate for strength training, period.

    HRMs are intended to estimate calories burned for steady state cardio, intervals affect accuracy.

    So in this case, no I would not trust it.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/773451-is-my-hrm-giving-me-incorrect-calorie-burn
    http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75

    thank you for this!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Does it have a chest strap? That seems really high.

    Yep, chest strap. It is high. I have had a MHR over 200 at times. but I also have a fairly high resting heartvrate (80)

    If you have a naturally high heart rate that will affect accuracy as well.

    ETA - remember, calories burned estimates based on heart rate assume that elevated heart rate is due to intensity. There are many factors that can affect heart rate that are not related to calorie burn.
  • misssiri
    misssiri Posts: 335 Member
    Does it have a chest strap? That seems really high.

    Yep, chest strap. It is high. I have had a MHR over 200 at times. but I also have a fairly high resting heartvrate (80)

    I meant the calories burned number. My heart rate tends to go really high also.
  • nikkionwine
    nikkionwine Posts: 49
    Does it have a chest strap? That seems really high.

    Yep, chest strap. It is high. I have had a MHR over 200 at times. but I also have a fairly high resting heartvrate (80)

    I meant the calories burned number. My heart rate tends to go really high also.

    Oh, ha, oops! :)
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    I also did a 1 hour body attack class at the gym today and burned 550 calories, avg hr 175, high 198... Over 900 sounds high
  • nikkionwine
    nikkionwine Posts: 49
    Does it have a chest strap? That seems really high.

    Yep, chest strap. It is high. I have had a MHR over 200 at times. but I also have a fairly high resting heartvrate (80)

    If you have a naturally high heart rate that will affect accuracy as well.

    ETA - remember, calories burned estimates based on heart rate assume that elevated heart rate is due to intensity. There are many factors that can affect heart rate that are not related to calorie burn.

    I don't know why I wish to know this stuff so accurately, other than to be able to eat more, haha...I used the BodyMedia at the beginning of my weight loss journey but stopped using it because I didn't feel it was accurate without a heart rate monitor!
  • nikkionwine
    nikkionwine Posts: 49
    I also did a 1 hour body attack class at the gym today and burned 550 calories, avg hr 175, high 198... Over 900 sounds high

    Interesting...our heart rates aren't that far off, either. Hmmph.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Does it have a chest strap? That seems really high.

    Yep, chest strap. It is high. I have had a MHR over 200 at times. but I also have a fairly high resting heartvrate (80)

    If you have a naturally high heart rate that will affect accuracy as well.

    ETA - remember, calories burned estimates based on heart rate assume that elevated heart rate is due to intensity. There are many factors that can affect heart rate that are not related to calorie burn.

    I don't know why I wish to know this stuff so accurately, other than to be able to eat more, haha...I used the BodyMedia at the beginning of my weight loss journey but stopped using it because I didn't feel it was accurate without a heart rate monitor!

    I can relate. I am a sucker for numbers. If I could be prescise, I would. Unfortunately outside of a lab, we can't achieve that.
    Keep doing what works.
  • ALH1981
    ALH1981 Posts: 538 Member
    im the opposite - resting heart rate of 45, takes forever to get my HR up, i can do 10 mile run (fast) and not even hit a 400 cal burn.........
  • nikkionwine
    nikkionwine Posts: 49
    im the opposite - resting heart rate of 45, takes forever to get my HR up, i can do 10 mile run (fast) and not even hit a 400 cal burn.........

    That's great! that's like athlete resting heart rate isn't it? I've been working out hardcore for 6 months and my resting heart rate only dropped by 8. It used to be 88. My heart rate spikes just by typing on the laptop, like right now :P
  • myriddian
    myriddian Posts: 186 Member
    If you have a high resting heart rate can you manually reset the min-max rate on the HRM, I notice mine has it but I've obviously not really tinkered with it much, perhaps that will give you a more realistic calorie burn?
  • lina011
    lina011 Posts: 427 Member
    ii did HIIT training yesterday with my polar and my Highest Heart rate was 170 and it varied to 150 - 170 BPM i did this for an hr & i burnt 450 - 500 cal, im 5'8 154 pounds, 920 is reallly high. Id double check.
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