Hear Rate Monitor...too good to be true?

WonderNoodle
WonderNoodle Posts: 549
edited September 20 in Fitness and Exercise
I purchased a Sportline S7 ECG heart rate watch. Programmed it to my sex/age. Hit the track. Took my heart rate frequently. Was staying 160-163. 30 minutes, 2 miles later it shows I burned 547 calories. Can that be true? I'm used to using the online calculators which I know aren't accurate, but I assumed over estimated.

I'm told the truest count of calorie burn is based on the heart rate monitor. I can only hope!

Anyone? Somebody pinch me! :noway:

Replies

  • perrim
    perrim Posts: 117
    does it have a chest strap? If not, it's probably not accurate. I hate to burst your bubble, but those numbers do sound a little too good to be true. I frequently work out at a heart rate between 155-165 when I'm really pushing it and according to my monitor (polar FT7), I burn about 600-700 calories in an hour. The most I've ever burned in 30 minutes was about 325-350 calories and that was at an average heart rate of about 150ish. BUT it does also depend greatly on how much you weight. The more you weigh, the more calories you'll burn. I'm at about 155-160 right now. I would guess that even at what appears to be your current weight, maybe your calories burned was more like 400 or so for 30 minutes which is still great!
  • cmurphy04722
    cmurphy04722 Posts: 254
    It would depend on your weight/height, etc. but you don't appear to be obese...

    I'm 5'4 and 155. I did an "Insanity" workout today that was about 40 minutes long, with my heart rate averaging 165, up to 185. And I burned about 400 calories. On hard workouts, I generally burn about 100 calories per 10 minutes.

    Your 547 in 30 minutes sounds too good to be true for me...but check around.
  • WonderNoodle
    WonderNoodle Posts: 549
    I'm 5'5", 225lbs. Should I just assume 200 cal are fluff and take them off and go with that each time?

    No chest strap, it states it reads your "ECG" signals....?
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    I have never even broken 200 calories in 30 minutes with my Polar strapped on. Everyone is different. I am tiny on the outside but weak and out of shape on the inside, I can't jog for more than ten minutes.
  • donna56
    donna56 Posts: 412
    I just bought a polar HRM and it was $74.00. I was told to stay away from the less expensive ones. I don't know how much you paid for yours, but I had one of those before and I got it at walmart and I think it was something between 20 - 30 dollars. I don't "think" it is that accurate. Sorry, but that is only my opinion.
  • WonderNoodle
    WonderNoodle Posts: 549
    MFP calculator= 31 minutes @ 4.0, 264 calories
  • perrim
    perrim Posts: 117
    If I were you, I'd probably be as conservative as possible and probably go with 200 calories less. If you can, you should invest in a polar heart rate monitor (maybe you can sell yours on craig's list or something!). It's the most accurate and a great motivating tool. The other thing you can do in the meantime is if you tend to do the same few workouts all the time, you could probably figure out what your average calories burned is online somewhere and just go with that. Good luck!
  • WonderNoodle
    WonderNoodle Posts: 549
    Sorry, but that is only my opinion.

    Don't be sorry...that's why I posted! I need all of my MFP pals' perspective and advice! I want to be truely accountable, no cheating. I don't want to record calories burned I didn't earn!
  • WonderNoodle
    WonderNoodle Posts: 549
    Well thanks everyone! This was a Walmart purchase today, $28. Think I'll return it and stick with the MFP calculator until I can get a good one! I'll appreciate ALL the advice and info!
  • xonophone
    xonophone Posts: 474 Member
    Noodle, many of us here are huge fans of the Polar F6 HRM. It costs between $90-100, depending on where you buy it, it comes with a chest strap, and as far as accuracy goes, Polar is pretty top notch. Oh yes, and it's pink! I'm not a pink kind of a girl, but I have to admit it looks very stylish...

    the more you weigh and the less conditioned you are, the more calories you will burn doing an activity. Once you slim down and become fitter, you will notice that you won't burn as much doing the same activiy - a small price to pay for being skinny & healthy though!

    Good luck and keep us posted.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    I had a sportline & ended up taking it back to the store. It was not worth what was paid for it. I have a Polar now & LOVE it. Wrist monitors only cannot be fully trusted.
  • kenlc
    kenlc Posts: 11 Member
    Today I took a 60 minute spin class and according to my HRM I burned around 590 calories. I am a male around 215 pounds, and I do know weight makes a difference regarding how how many calories you burn.
  • WonderNoodle
    WonderNoodle Posts: 549
    It's going back and I'll save the refund to put toward a "pink-polar"! LOL! That's the trouble of living in a rural area, if you want it TODAY, you have very few choices if any.

    Online shopping I'll be!
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    I'm 5'5", 225lbs. Should I just assume 200 cal are fluff and take them off and go with that each time?

    No chest strap, it states it reads your "ECG" signals....?
    I use a watch and its accurate. Your weight affects how much you burn calorie wise. If your not too sure, shave 100 calories off. :)
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Well thanks everyone! This was a Walmart purchase today, $28. Think I'll return it and stick with the MFP calculator until I can get a good one! I'll appreciate ALL the advice and info!

    You are in 90% of your max HR so that is high. You will burn more in shorter time.

    Now as for the HRM.......I would def return it and save for one with a chest strap. I LOVE my Polar F6 and it was under $100. It not only tells me how much I burned but keeps me motivated to burn more.

    I will look down and see 289 and think....better keep going for 300.....then I end up at 350!

    Your doing a great job, keep it up!!

    jeannie
  • fiendiish
    fiendiish Posts: 186
    It's going back and I'll save the refund to put toward a "pink-polar"! LOL! That's the trouble of living in a rural area, if you want it TODAY, you have very few choices if any.

    Online shopping I'll be!

    I have a Polar F6 as well. (the pink one :)) LOVE IT! I think Amazon has it for $80 right now...which is outstanding. Most retail stores are selling them for $109.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    It's going back and I'll save the refund to put toward a "pink-polar"! LOL! That's the trouble of living in a rural area, if you want it TODAY, you have very few choices if any.

    Online shopping I'll be!

    :love: my pinkie is now rough around the edges but it is like a tattered Bible........wouldn't be that way if it wasn't used a lot!! :wink:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    I'm 5'5", 225lbs. Should I just assume 200 cal are fluff and take them off and go with that each time?

    No chest strap, it states it reads your "ECG" signals....?
    I use a watch and its accurate. Your weight affects how much you burn calorie wise. If your not too sure, shave 100 calories off. :)

    does it pick up the pulse on the wrist? I one I bought way back I had to put my finger on it every few minutes, and that broke my concentration. I would love to have something on my wrist to pick up the HR
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    I'm 5'5", 225lbs. Should I just assume 200 cal are fluff and take them off and go with that each time?

    No chest strap, it states it reads your "ECG" signals....?
    I use a watch and its accurate. Your weight affects how much you burn calorie wise. If your not too sure, shave 100 calories off. :)

    does it pick up the pulse on the wrist? I one I bought way back I had to put my finger on it every few minutes, and that broke my concentration. I would love to have something on my wrist to pick up the HR
    Mine does the same thing. I have to place my finger on the metal button to get the pulse reading. But I only use my elliptical machine, so I don't have to worry about losing concentration while working out. :flowerforyou:
  • AmandaB4588
    AmandaB4588 Posts: 655
    It's going back and I'll save the refund to put toward a "pink-polar"! LOL! That's the trouble of living in a rural area, if you want it TODAY, you have very few choices if any.

    Online shopping I'll be!

    I have a Polar F6 as well. (the pink one :)) LOVE IT! I think Amazon has it for $80 right now...which is outstanding. Most retail stores are selling them for $109.

    Yes, I bought my Polar F6 for about $80 from Amazon. I love it!
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Noodle, many of us here are huge fans of the Polar F6 HRM. It costs between $90-100, depending on where you buy it, it comes with a chest strap, and as far as accuracy goes, Polar is pretty top notch. Oh yes, and it's pink! I'm not a pink kind of a girl, but I have to admit it looks very stylish...

    the more you weigh and the less conditioned you are, the more calories you will burn doing an activity. Once you slim down and become fitter, you will notice that you won't burn as much doing the same activiy - a small price to pay for being skinny & healthy though!

    Good luck and keep us posted.

    Yes and no. Someone who is less conditioned MAY be less efficient as performing an activity. But they also will not be able to work as hard and the adaptation occurs pretty quickly. The "increased calorie burn" caused by the inefficiency is not much, if anything, and is MORE than offset by one's ability to do more work once one becomes more efficient at the activity. Programs like P90x (which may be an excellent program nonetheless) are blowing a ton of BS at people with this whole bogus "muscle confusion" concept.

    It is true that as one loses weight, they will burn fewer calories at any given submaximal intensity than previously. However, this is also offset by the fact that, as one loses weight, one should be able to exercise at a higher workload at the same level of perceived exertion.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I purchased a Sportline S7 ECG heart rate watch. Programmed it to my sex/age. Hit the track. Took my heart rate frequently. Was staying 160-163. 30 minutes, 2 miles later it shows I burned 547 calories. Can that be true? I'm used to using the online calculators which I know aren't accurate, but I assumed over estimated.

    I'm told the truest count of calorie burn is based on the heart rate monitor. I can only hope!

    Anyone? Somebody pinch me! :noway:

    Unfortunately, it is. Even if you were running a 10:00 mile, the total calorie burn at your weight for 2 miles would be closer to 300-350, not 547. But, hey, running 2 miles is excellent, so don't get caught up in the technology.
  • asm2260
    asm2260 Posts: 81 Member
    I have a polar F6 and I have had it for 4 years...love it...water proof...well worth the money...

    As far as P90X programs or Insanity...maybe muscle confussion is added hype...but I LOVE my Insanity..I have pushed myself harder than any gym will do...Its all personal preference...and if a set of DVD's brings me to another level ... then I will take it...dont mind an occassional run...but the convience of a home workout has really helped me get moving more and harder...just my opinion...and no im not a beachbody coach...just a fan of the workout...:happy:
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I have a polar F6 and I have had it for 4 years...love it...water proof...well worth the money...

    As far as P90X programs or Insanity...maybe muscle confussion is added hype...but I LOVE my Insanity..I have pushed myself harder than any gym will do...Its all personal preference...and if a set of DVD's brings me to another level ... then I will take it...dont mind an occassional run...but the convience of a home workout has really helped me get moving more and harder...just my opinion...and no im not a beachbody coach...just a fan of the workout...:happy:

    I tried to state explicitly that the fact that programs like P90X (don't know enough about Insanity to comment) might be hyped by (IMO) a bogus concept doesn't necessarily mean they are bad programs--and I don't think I have ever recommended against either one. I have nothing against HRMs either--I use one for every workout and have for years--I probably have some old Polar products that are older than half the people on this website :tongue:

    I just think it's important for people to have all the facts they need to make an informed decision. The amount of misinformation out there concerning fitness is thicker than the ash cloud of an Icelandic volcano.
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