Polar heart rate monitor -- should I trust it?

maphillips02
maphillips02 Posts: 5 Member
edited January 16 in Fitness and Exercise
So I recently got a heart rate monitor because I had a feeling myfitnesspal was underestimating the amount of work I was doing while exercising. (For the record, I am 28, 5'0, and only about 15 lbs overweight, but I have a high resting heart rate and for me and my short little legs, 4.5 is not a "brisk walk," it's a steady jog.)

So yesterday I wore it for the first time. Of course I put in my age, my height, my weight, etc to the Polar HRM. After I finished working out, Myfitnesspal said the amount of cardio I did (putting in speed jogged and the amount of time) added up to 237 calories. When I looked at the watch connected to my Polar HRM, it said I'd burned 466 calories! Now, I know that was gross calories, so I put it into a gross->net calculator, which still left me with 400+ calories (408 I think.)

That is a HUGE difference from what MFP is telling me, clearly. Is that really accurate? Should I trust it? Is it somehow overestimating? I would really really like to believe I burned 408 calories yesterday instead of 237, but I don't want to get all excited and overeat.

Replies

  • maphillips02
    maphillips02 Posts: 5 Member
    bump
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
    Nothing is 100% accurate when it comes to weight loss tools but I believe the Polar HRM are better than what the machines or the MFP calculator say. Afterall, the HRM is monitoring your HR. Well, that is how I look at it. My burn can be rather high depending on what exercise Im doing
  • cnlargent
    cnlargent Posts: 199 Member
    If you have a higher than normal resting heart rate, then your HRM may not be accurate on how hard you are working and what you are burning
  • TssCnn
    TssCnn Posts: 114 Member
    I personally trust mine. I can see the difference in days when I really push harder vs not. The machines always seem to say bout the same no matter how hard I push that specific day. EXCEPT for the Cybex Arc trainer. That is the ONLY machine I have ever, ever used that has been relatively close (within 15/20 calories) to my HRM.

    That being said, as it was mentioned above, nothing is 100%. But I do trust the HRM with being as close as possible.
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