Treadmill Calorie Count - Accurate or Not?

TrailRunner61

Get a HRM. Machines that estimate calorie burns are based on an average weight. A 138lb person isn't going to burn as much as someone who weighs 250 or as low as someone who weighs 100lbs. I have a Polar Ft4 that I love. I've used it almost daily for over a year and the battery is still going. It's worth every penny.

ilikebooksnotrunning

I have a Polar FT7 HRM and I found that it usually calculates me below the treadmill by around 80-100 calories each time. I figure even if it's off, I'd rather underestimate calories burned rather than overestimate.

cewilli

Not accurate AT ALL. Get a Heart Rate Monitor with a chest strap. One of the best purchases I've ever made!!

erickirb

I have and older treadmill…not ‘ancient’, but it was purchased probably 7-8 years ago. It’s what I always use to run and I keep up with my calories burned based on what it tells me I’ve burned. I’ve been doing it for months now, and it wasn’t until MFP and trying treadmill workouts that I’ve began to question whether the info it spits out is accurate.

I know whenever I enter I how much I ran into my MFP exercise tracker, I always have to change the calories because my treadmill has told me WAY less. I’ve heard MFP overestimates how much you burn though, so I didn’t think much of it. I’m wondering because I’ve been trying these new treadmill workouts I find online and they say a person of a certain weight should burn X amount of calories, and I seem to be burning around 100-150 or so less than it says. For example, I did a 50 minute interval run I found that boosted you burn 500 calories doing it, and my treadmill said after 55 minutes (did 5 minute cool down jog) that I’d only burned 320 calories. It was estimated for a 130 pound female, and I’m around 138….but would that really make that much of a difference?

I know a couple hundred calories isn’t really that big of a deal – but hey it could buy me another snack! I’m mostly just curious if this is a common thing…anyone ever used a HRM or a device like that and found they were burning more than the treadmill claimed?

I have the same issue with my elliptical, except the stats from that are much higher than MFP...

elliptical calorie burn calculator is usually an overestimation. They have not been tested the same as treadmills and there is a lot of "help" (momentum) used in the elliptical.

I just wonder because whether I do 10 minutes at a slow walking pace or 10 minutes with a lot of resistance and a jogging pace, MFP still gives me the same amount of calories. Whereas my elliptical factors speed and resistance in. I'm sure the accurate amount is in the middle somewhere.

It would be better than MFP, but most likely still not accurate.

erickirb

Not accurate AT ALL. Get a Heart Rate Monitor with a chest strap. One of the best purchases I've ever made!!

See my earlier post regarding treadmill vs. HRM.

corchy23

Thanks for all the quick feed back and opinions guys! I know calories burned always depends on your own level of exertion…and I finish these 500 calorie burn runs soaked in sweat and full of endorphins, so I feel like I’m putting in my personal max effort. I know a HRM is the best way to go and I plan to invest in one soon : ) Several of you mentioned it being more accurate if you have a treadmill where you enter your weight, and mine doesn't have that feature…so maybe that’s why I’m seeing a significantly lower number.

Jcole05

I don't think the treadmills at my gym are quite 8 years old, but my HRM usually tells me I've burned 150 more in an hour than the treadmill counter does. I'm a 158 lb. female, 5'8. Hope this helps!