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Old subject, but no improvements

c53204
c53204 Posts: 35 Member
edited January 4 in Fitness and Exercise
The web is littered with calories burn calculators. I have several iphone apps - Runtastic, Runkeeper, Wahoo, Digifit, plus a few more.

I use a Wahoo HR monitor and have checked it against others, so I know it is accurate.

I have a route which I walk (and cycle). Walking it's 3 hours duration, 11.2 miles. Works out at 3.73mph. ALL the apps agree with the time/distance/speed of this 'flat' route. All apps have same 'personal/bio' information.

Runtastic - 868 calories
Wahoo Fitness -1842
MFP - 920
Digifit - 1800

Most of the calculators on the web say around 300-350 per hour for my weight, etc. This shows Runtastic and MFP to be pretty close. But as Wahoo and Digifit are a lot higher (but close), does anyone know of a different way they may be calculating calorie burn, or are they just plain wrong i.e. bad programming.

Thanks.

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    My sanity check comes from runnersworld.com

    http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304-311-8402-0,00.html

    The fact that you're getting two calculations that are double the others suggests that one may be gross (.53 x your weight per mile) and the others net (ie subtracting BMR .30 x your weight per mile)

    Personally I've found that my Garmin 610 showed a lower calorie burn than my old HRM and is very close to the Runner's World net calculation and what MFP estimates for me. (eg yesterday 9 mile run.......my HRM, MFP & Runner's World were all within 100 cal or so)
  • c53204
    c53204 Posts: 35 Member
    Thanks - very interesting article.
This discussion has been closed.

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