Calories burned walking using heart rate as a guide?

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Schlackity
Schlackity Posts: 268 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm on vacation, and after logging the food I ate today, I felt like I owed it to myself to use the hotel's fitness room and get a quick walk in. I walked for 20 minutes at 3 mph, and the heart rate monitor on the treadmill had my heart rate around 156 for the better part of my walk. Is there a way to figure out how many calories I burned using the heart rate instead of what MFP says? MFP is saying I burned 127 calories, which feels lame to me, but it may be correct. I don't know what exact information is needed to calculate calories burned, but I'm 46 years old, 5'5", and weight as of this morning was 240. Is there any kind of calculation that can figure out a more accurate calorie burn? Or does the 127 seem correct?

Thanks!

Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    In this case, the MFP count is accurate.
  • Schlackity
    Schlackity Posts: 268 Member
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    Thanks. Looks like I'll be hitting the treadmill again before we leave in the morning.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    i've never seen a treadmill that had a heart rate monitor that didn't also give you calories burned data
  • jojo37696
    jojo37696 Posts: 93 Member
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    I have found that the treadmill heart rate monitors are generally inaccurate. One time they will say 98 and 10 sec later you do it again and it will say 64. What I did find is that the cals burned info on these machines is pretty accurate and I take my own pulse. I know that doesn't answer your question really but I guess I'm saying go with what the machine says.
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
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    Were you able to input your weight in the treadmill (I know my bike and elliptical let me input weight, but my treadmill doesn't) ... I recently invested in a Polar HRM, and I can't get my heart rate up at all just by walking ... I have been walking/elliptical-ling for a while now (about 8 years). I couldn't believe how LOW the calorie count from my HRM came in. Everyone is different, but comparing my actual chest strap HRM to the HRM on my machines, I have also come to the conclusion that the machines (at least mine) are not that accurate. They do really bounce around, and often on the machines my heart rate will pop up to 150+ but I never see that on my actual HRM.
  • Otrogen
    Otrogen Posts: 65
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    TBH I'm doubtful you were at that high of a heart rate. I think the treadmill, like every single piece of gym equipment I have ever used, was wrong about your heart rate. How old are you?

    I'm going to assume you're 30 (not b/c of your photo, just what I assume for most people because then it's not too far off even if they're 20 or 40 xD).

    That would put your average fat burning heart rate zone at 114 - 152 BPM. Any more than that, and you aren't burning fat any more, just utilising glycogen already stored in your muscles (which is very limited comparatively, thus not being able to work out at this pace for very long, but also isn't your goal for weight loss). Any less, and you're going too easy.

    Relatively speaking, 135 is about your golden area. You should be definitely exerting energy, sweating and the likes, but not feeling like it's killing you by any means. You should be able to mostly talk. I'm 24 years old and at 156 BPM, I can't really talk very much. It's hard-moderate effort for me. You don't want to be going that hard really.

    Use the treadmill's timer as a counter and take your pulse yourself in the middle of your workout. It's very easy. Pointer and bird fingers together to take it (never your thumb), you can find it on the wrist area on the thumb side by pressing down on the tissue there. Try and stay at a steady pace that keeps you in the 140's, or even 135-145. That's where you cook the butter to sweet perfection. Any higher, and you're in danger of burning it xD.
  • Turnaround2012
    Turnaround2012 Posts: 362 Member
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    Hi!

    Here is a calculator that I use that I am trusting more and more:

    Do this to calculate the gross:

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    Then click here to get the net,

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx

    This is a lot of work, but worth it.
    for example: I have found that the elliptical on MFP is way to "generous" vs. my own calculations.

    I eat back 50%-75% of my exercise calories so I try to always be "conservative" on my exercise.

    I hope this helps!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,651 Member
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    A nutritionist once told me 300 calories per hour for leisurely to brisk walking for an overweight person is about right. I think this is one exercise where MFP estimates look okay. MFP estimates are 45% too high (compared to my HRM) for elliptical trainer, my usual workout.

    I am surprised you got your heart rate to 156 walking though. On the elliptical I target 140-153, but have to do occasional all out sprints for 15 second intervals to keep my heart rate in that zone.
  • Schlackity
    Schlackity Posts: 268 Member
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    TBH I'm doubtful you were at that high of a heart rate. I think the treadmill, like every single piece of gym equipment I have ever used, was wrong about your heart rate. How old are you?

    I'm going to assume you're 30 (not b/c of your photo, just what I assume for most people because then it's not too far off even if they're 20 or 40 xD).

    That would put your average fat burning heart rate zone at 114 - 152 BPM. Any more than that, and you aren't burning fat any more, just utilising glycogen already stored in your muscles (which is very limited comparatively, thus not being able to work out at this pace for very long, but also isn't your goal for weight loss). Any less, and you're going too easy.

    Relatively speaking, 135 is about your golden area. You should be definitely exerting energy, sweating and the likes, but not feeling like it's killing you by any means. You should be able to mostly talk. I'm 24 years old and at 156 BPM, I can't really talk very much. It's hard-moderate effort for me. You don't want to be going that hard really.

    Use the treadmill's timer as a counter and take your pulse yourself in the middle of your workout. It's very easy. Pointer and bird fingers together to take it (never your thumb), you can find it on the wrist area on the thumb side by pressing down on the tissue there. Try and stay at a steady pace that keeps you in the 140's, or even 135-145. That's where you cook the butter to sweet perfection. Any higher, and you're in danger of burning it xD.

    My age is 46, but I'd be happy to go with 30. :-)
  • Schlackity
    Schlackity Posts: 268 Member
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    To reply to the various answers...first, thanks for replying.

    The treadmill didn't let me enter my weight. And I didn't realize until I was about 10 minutes into my walking that I would have had to keep my hands on the metal bar in front of me at all times in order for it to record calories burnt. The heart rate would go blank when I let go, but then the numbers would come back a few seconds after I put my hands back on the bar. I haven't been on a treadmill in years, but because we were at a hotel and I felt bad about being over on my calories (by about 700 calories, thanks to some poor choices), I wanted to give it a shot.

    So if I use a treadmill again in the future, I'll know to keep my hands on the bar if I want it to count my calories. The heart rate thing did seem to fluctuate when I took my hands off and put them on the bar again, but it stayed in the 154-164 range after about 10 minutes.

    When we get home from this trip (in Tennessee right now and I live in Pennsylvania), I may do some serious HRM shopping.

    Thanks again for all the replies!

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