Heart rate monitors, are they worth it?

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  • rassha01
    rassha01 Posts: 534 Member
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    Absolutely necessary for steady state cardio! Trying to estimate just doesn't cut it. Heart rate monitors are not 100% accurate but MFP estimations may be +-10% and that can add up to a huge number in one week. Unfortunately my HRM went back for warranty work = (. This morning MFP estimated my calorie burn right around 1000 for 55 minutes of running but I know that is 100-200 to high!
  • TeamDale
    TeamDale Posts: 383 Member
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    Yes, I have a Polar F7 and love it.!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    My own opinion is they are highly overrated. That isn't saying they arent useful tool, I just don't think they are a must have.

    Heart rate zones for calorie burn/weight loss are irreverent and usually inaccurate anyway.
    Yes, at a certain level you burn more fat calories, however, the intensity is low so you burn fewer calories. At higher levels you burn more calories so even though the percent of burned is lower, the results are still higher.

    HRMs also have varying degrees of accuracy when it comes to estimating calories burned. The formulas are based on steady state cardio activity so other types of training, like intervals and strength training will affect the accuracy. Even under ideal circumstances they can be off 20-30%.

    A couple of good blog posts on the topic
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1044313-this-is-why-hrms-have-limited-use-for-tracking-calories?hl=HRM


    Now heart rate zones for training, not burning calories, they are useful.
  • action_figure
    action_figure Posts: 511 Member
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    I love mine. I find it very motivating.
  • jensan37
    jensan37 Posts: 151 Member
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    Bump
  • biggirl1000
    biggirl1000 Posts: 189 Member
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    Yes - bought the polar ft7. Two improvements - following HR increased the intensity of my cardio workouts and the calories for exercise are significantly different (less) from what you find on this site and machines. I use it daily.
  • appifanie
    appifanie Posts: 95 Member
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    I got mine awhile ago when all the Polars I saw were pretty pricey. Mine is a Timex with a watch and a chest band so it doesn't calculate calories burned, just gives me my average heart rate and the time working out. Does anyone have a link to a site that they trust for calculating calorie burned based on heart rate?
  • 58Rock
    58Rock Posts: 176 Member
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    The reality. It can be effective if one has all the right information and the HRM is good enough to use that information correctly.

    HRMs measure heart rate nothing else. They "estimate" caloric expenditure during steady-state cardiovascular exercise using the relationship between heart rate and oxygen uptake (or VO2) and various algorithims in their software.

    One has to know two very inportant things. First one's max HR, difficult to determine but doable. Second, one's V02 max. Much more difficult to do and requires some various testing methods such as the "1-mile run" or "Cooper 12-min run".

    The bottome line: the HRM's ability to "estimate" calorie counts are only accurate when there is a reliable and measurable relationship between heart rate and oxygen uptake.

    On top of that there are lots of reasons why HR can increase without a related increase in VO2 uptake . One of those is heavy lifting. Which causes the HR to go up only because of increased pressure.

    As with anything else related to fitness it is more complicated than the manufacturers of HRMs lead you to believe. If one can't acurately figure out one's max HR and VO2 max and the monitor does not even use those figures, then you are better of just estimating your caloire burn using the various height/weight/sex/etc calculators on MFP and other web sites.
  • aetzkorn14
    aetzkorn14 Posts: 169 Member
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    I love mine!! I have two with the chest strap. I bought a Polar but lost my transmitter and found one at ALDI's for $20 that works just as well. It is the best investment I have made thus far....it keeps me motivated and I can track my burned calories during a workout.
  • benjicloverdale
    benjicloverdale Posts: 92 Member
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    Yes. However, for maximum benefit/accuracy, you should find a gym that does metabolic testing. You have to pay for that, and the little mask you wear, but it is worth it in the end. Then they take your results and plug them into your watch, so that your zones and calorie burn are a reflection of *your* metabolism, not just any person of similar age/ht/wt/sex based on those generic zones you see printed out on charts/machines.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    I don't really see the point, but whatever floats your boat.
  • sharonfoustmills
    sharonfoustmills Posts: 519 Member
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    I bought a Polar FT4. I think it is worth every dime I paid for it and some extra. Using it has helped me gauge just how much exercise I am actually getting, because I am still quite out of shape, I often have to stop and go on exercise things so it's good to have those real numbers so I don't overestimate. Statistically, research has shown overweight people overestimate the amount of calories they burn through exercise, which makes weight loss more complicated and difficult.

    ETA: one good example, the numbers for zumba on MFP, would have given me credit for 6+ times the calories that my HRM said I actually probably burned-- if I just used MFP numbers, I would be gaining weight rather than losing it (my HRM said 251 calories for my 45 minutes of work, while MFP said something very crazy like 1750 for the same 45 minutes of zumba, this is probably because MFP makes the incorrect assumption that I am in good shape and going full speed the whole 45 minutes when in reality I am out of shape and just learning the steps for zumba right now)
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
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    I have a HRM that's connected to my Garmin GPS watch I use for runs. Obviously they're not *perfect* in determining how many calories you're burning, I like to use it in conjunction with my runs and workouts. The Garmin does ask you to program some details in about yourself (age, gender, how active you are, how often you workout, etc).

    I find mine really helpful, but to each their own.
  • 3shirts
    3shirts Posts: 294 Member
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    YES. As everyone has said, they are really the only way to get an accurate indication of how many calories YOU are burning rather than some fictional average person. I notice that for a given activity, MFP was often way over on estimated calories and the equipment in my gym was quite a bit under!

    They are still not perfect of course, the only thing they MEASURE is your heart rate so calorie burn is still an estimate based on that and some measurements you've put in, but get a decent brand like Polar and they are as close as you can really get.

    What I have found surprisingly motivating is how much better my recovery time is now. Coming off a 15 minute run or cycle I see my heart rate drop back down much quicker than it used to which shows how much fitter I am getting.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    I have a HRM that's connected to my Garmin GPS watch I use for runs. Obviously they're not *perfect* in determining how many calories you're burning, I like to use it in conjunction with my runs and workouts. The Garmin does ask you to program some details in about yourself (age, gender, how active you are, how often you workout, etc).

    I find mine really helpful, but to each their own.

    Just a note - not every model of Garmin bases their calorie burns on heart rate, even if it has a HRM. You need to check the specs. Mine doesn't.
  • spetermann190
    spetermann190 Posts: 289 Member
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    Polar FT7 .... Wont leave home without it :)
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
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    I have a HRM that's connected to my Garmin GPS watch I use for runs. Obviously they're not *perfect* in determining how many calories you're burning, I like to use it in conjunction with my runs and workouts. The Garmin does ask you to program some details in about yourself (age, gender, how active you are, how often you workout, etc).

    I find mine really helpful, but to each their own.

    Just a note - not every model of Garmin bases their calorie burns on heart rate, even if it has a HRM. You need to check the specs. Mine doesn't.

    ^^ Good point. I should have been more specific - mine is the Garmin Forerunner 210. Great little watch for the runner who isn't too tech-obsessed, but probably overkill for someone who literally just wants to see HR and caloric burn.

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