How accurate?

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dunkut
dunkut Posts: 50 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just a quick question, how accurate do you think a heart monitor is for calories burned? I walked a hill this morning, probably the steepest I have ever seen for 49 minutes. HR was up as I was gasping for breath, monitor said 1023 calories burned, seems like a wee bit much to me? It's a timex hr monitor and my data is entered in it, obviously there is some margin of error, just wondered what anyone thought?

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  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
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    Don't know about the brand, and I would imagine that the quality of the brand would have a significant impact, but walking at inclines has a tremendous impact on the number of calories burned. I know using a treadmill in the gym, at 27% incline at 3 MPH, i'm burning almost 20 calories a minute. Don't know your weight. I"m 158. If you are heavier than that, you would burn at a much higher rate than that at the same speed. So the calorie burn doesn't seem all that implausible to me.
  • dunkut
    dunkut Posts: 50 Member
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    274 lbs 5'10. I compared to workouts in MFP and it was higher for sure, but this hill was at least a 50 degree angle. The heart rate monitor wasn't cheap and had good reviews.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
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    Then I would think it might be pretty accurate, given the incline and your size. And I'd be walking it a lot if it were me. :)
  • mtnhiker1
    mtnhiker1 Posts: 114 Member
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    Not sure - a long, long, long time ago I ran with a guy who used to run cross country in high school. he could run for miles and his pulse rate would not go much over 100. but when I ran, mine routinely went over 150. Even today if I get on a rowing machine, or bicycle, I can get my pulse rate up to over 150 but according to the calorie calculators on the machine, I do not burn that many calories.
    What I do is be machine specific. A 400 calorie work out on one machine may be equivalent to a 700 calorie work out on another machine. Maybe you should use your monitor on a stair stepper that has a calorie meter on it. Compare the calorie counter on your monitor to the one on the machine and see how they compare. This may give you a more useful measurement - maybe you are getting a bona-fide 1000 calorie work out.

    Just a thought
  • mtnhiker1
    mtnhiker1 Posts: 114 Member
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    leebestoad - 27% degree WOW that is steep!
  • malloryteresa
    malloryteresa Posts: 5
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    Does your HRM have a chest strap or is it one where you have to put your finger on a button on the watch? If it's a chest strap one, provided the chest strap was working properly I would say it's pretty accurate. If it doesn't have a chest strap it won't be as accurate.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
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    The gym has the top of the line FreeMotion treadmills. Any gym that has FreeMotion equipment is a good sign. Be it treadmills or cable equipment. The FreeMotion treadmills have preset buttons from 0 to 30 degree inclines in 3% increases. One button pushed and it starts ramping up to 27%. No holding down a button to get it up there (although you can do it that way).
  • dunkut
    dunkut Posts: 50 Member
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    Mallory it has the chest strap, my plan is to compare it with an elliptical or some machine Monday at the gym, my average HR was 146 and I was in my zone for 25 minutes. Lee it wAs literally the steepest hill I have ever encountered, I'll be going back for more lol
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
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    That's the way to keep after it. Go for it.

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