HRM, iGotu & MFP calories used when exercising

MORECHABLIS
MORECHABLIS Posts: 164 Member
edited February 2 in Fitness and Exercise
HOW DO YOU ESTIMATE YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES? & are they accurate?

Have you got a Heart Rate Monitor (linked to a smart phone or watch), or a GPS logger (eg. i-Gotu) or use a website calorie estimator.

I have recently bought a HRM linked to a watch, I've used GPS loggers & websites to find my calories. I used all three to see what they said about my calories used during the exercise.

EXAMPLE: (cycling over 160 minutes, 12-14 miles per hour)

Highest: GPS Logger (i-Gotu) = 3,921.calories
Medium: HRM monitor (cheap one) = 3,234 cals (I have bought a Polar H7 for my GS3, am waiting for update software update to use it)
Lowest: My Fitness Pal = 2610 calories

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPERIENCES Or have you got various results, so wide?

Replies

  • ze_hombre
    ze_hombre Posts: 377 Member
    HRM's are the best for accuracy that we plebs can afford. Professional athletes use HRM's that have more advanced algorithms and take into account VOX emissions (measurement of how efficient your body is performing per heart beat).

    The differences you are seeing is not a factor of the HRM but a factor of the algorithm used to calculate calorie burn rate. A number of factors come into play when calculating calorie burn and I will not act like I understand them at all, but I would tend to trust a HRM that has GPS data (or at least altimeter) so it can take into account elevation changes.

    Personally I used to use Endomondo paired to a Zephyr HRM. I now use a TomTom multi sport watch. Both are fairly similar in terms of burn rates but I haven't worn them at the same time to see how close they are.
  • MORECHABLIS
    MORECHABLIS Posts: 164 Member
    That's very interesting...

    It will be interesting when I can use a GS3 App & GPS with the Polar H7... As the HRM I used is just a cheap HRM/watch version.

    Its so important, as although we all want to lose weight/keep stable. I know that I know I 'exercise harder' if I know I can enjoy a bit of chocolate or wine etc... And still lose...
  • MORECHABLIS
    MORECHABLIS Posts: 164 Member
    I wonder if there is a professional report or review on calorie figures and equipment used to measure exercise calories and how accurate they are....
  • HollieDollieeeex
    HollieDollieeeex Posts: 116 Member
    I have a Polar FT4 HRM and it's my best friend, simple...Tells me my maximum HR, Average HR, how long I was in the 'fatburning zone' & calories burned. It also stores all my training data so I can compare workouts and builf new goals and targets.

    Wouldn't do a workout without it
  • MORECHABLIS
    MORECHABLIS Posts: 164 Member
    I have a Polar FT4 HRM and it's my best friend, simple...Tells me my maximum HR, Average HR, how long I was in the 'fatburning zone' & calories burned. It also stores all my training data so I can compare workouts and builf new goals and targets.

    Wouldn't do a workout without it

    Have you ever compared it to the exercise equipment calories used, or MFP calories? Any differences?
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