How accurate are the calories on the cardio exercise?

Em1981
Em1981 Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there,

I have just started up taking swimming and i do 60mins of breaststroke. When i add this into the cardio exercise it says i have burnt off 925 calories how accurate is this? As i am not sure i do not eat over my daily allowance of calories anyway but i just thought that its a lot of calories to burn in 60mins...

If anyone out there can help me with this it would be much appreciated.
Many Thanks :)

Replies

  • blu_meanie_ca
    blu_meanie_ca Posts: 352 Member
    They are often very over-inflated. The best estmates are from heart rate monitors, but the *actual* number burned will always be a mystery. Hence, the debate over eating all, part, or none of your cals back.

    Personally, I'm a none-back person. I record my exercises as a way to keep myself accountable to be physically active. The overly high calorie amounts are just amusing, as there are days when I've "netted" negative calories (I'm disabled, and there is no way I could ever reach the intensity needed to burn 1000kcal/hr).
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    It depends on the individual and on the exercise in question, but a lot of people do find the burn estimates to be too generous. I wouldn't recommend not eating back any of them, though, because an energy deficit and the unnecessary loss of lean body mass can easily make "I'll gain if I do," and "I'll hit a plateau" self fulfilling prophecies if you under eat by too wide a margin. In my case, eating back 2/3rds of estimated burn kept me on track.

    Edited to add that sarahthes' solution is a good one. If I ever again need to lose a lot of weight it will be with a heart rate monitor.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    I find that they either grossly overestimate or grossly underestimate calories burned. I wear a heart rate monitor instead and manually enter the calories burned.
  • Em1981
    Em1981 Posts: 11
    As i am very unsure and there is noway to tel,l i do not eat the calories i have burnt off anyway but i have had a look at some swimovate watches but there far to expensive for me to buy so will just make sure i do more cardio in the gym as can monitor what im burning off. Thanks for your help x

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