Running and Calories Burned

minnesota
minnesota Posts: 204 Member
edited September 20 in Fitness and Exercise
Just wanted to inform people who don't know that when you enter the running as an exercise here it is probably over calculated. The belief used to be one mile = 100 calories, but in reality to figure out your calories burned each mile take your total body weight in pounds and multiply this by .72 and this will give you the calories YOUR body burns every mile.

I just don't want people thinking the earned more calories then they actual have and end up over eating.

Good Luck Runners!

Replies

  • lt_mrcook
    lt_mrcook Posts: 389 Member
    Speed plays a factor too...your best bet is a HRM.
  • justann
    justann Posts: 276 Member
    I was just thinking the same thing. Speed has to play a major role in it too.
  • aisha11188
    aisha11188 Posts: 43
    I know, its very confusing. I just check from the machine how many calories I burned and use that amount in my exercise diary regardless of how long it took.
  • anirlz
    anirlz Posts: 18 Member
    I used to use a heart rate monitor for every type of cardio exercise I did. For me, I found that I usually would burn around 100 calories for every ten minutes of cardio. This is the equation I use today. If I were to use your equation though, I would be short-changing myself by 78 calories (using running as an example). I guess it is better to under estimate than over estimate?!
  • acakeforawife
    acakeforawife Posts: 207
    I actually don't think speed DOES play much role, simply because it would decrease your time. So you can run a mile at 5mph, which would take you 12 minutes, or you could run a mile a 8mph, which is obviously much harder -- but it'd only take you 7.5 minutes. So it kind of evens out.

    The thing I've noticed is that this formula works great for my first mile -- I wear a heart rate monitor, and sure enough I burn about 125 calories (170 lbs x 0.72 = 122.4). But my second mile is always harder on me (I'm still a new runner), so I usually burn more like 150. Then miles 3 and 4 are even harder, and my heart rate stays in the 180s the whole time, meaning I burn about 200 calories per mile. So I always wonder about that formula -- it seems like it works for easy miles but not those harder ones (like if you're working on increasing your mileage and pushing yourself a little further each week -- those last miles get tough!)
  • shaggys
    shaggys Posts: 140 Member
    Just wanted to inform people who don't know that when you enter the running as an exercise here it is probably over calculated. The belief used to be one mile = 100 calories, but in reality to figure out your calories burned each mile take your total body weight in pounds and multiply this by .72 and this will give you the calories YOUR body burns every mile.

    I just don't want people thinking the earned more calories then they actual have and end up over eating.

    Good Luck Runners!
    Thanks!And I love the profile pic!
  • minnesota
    minnesota Posts: 204 Member
    Actually speed does NOT play a role in calories burned. You walk 6 miles you burn 600 calories you run 6 miles you burn 600 calories. This is why I decided to inform people of the equation about your body weight times by .72 and how this number gives you the accurate calories burned per mile.

    There was a recent study on HRM's that state they over estimate calories burned by approximately 20-30 percent.
  • Stepmom1
    Stepmom1 Posts: 155 Member
    Cool. Thanks for the info! I don't feel so bad now... I am not a fast runner lol
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