Calorie Burn Discrepancies (App-recorded)

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tokyoshorty
tokyoshorty Posts: 18
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm getting really confused by my calories burned via the apps I've downloaded.

Right now I'm using Endomondo, and I'm wondering how accurate it is, because I just finished a 90-ish minute run with this result:
591 calories doing 86 minutes of cardio exercises, including "Walking, 8 mins per km, very, very brisk pace"

But then I see this on my feed from the same app on a friend's profile:
burned 403 calories doing 35 minutes of walking

Or:
burned 794 calories doing 68 minutes of walking

I let the app log it on its own, so I'm just curious. Another app I use ("Moves", which I stopped using because it was a battery drainer) consistently added at least an extra 100 calories to my routines...

Am I not getting enough calorie "credits" for my runs? I know I'm not going very fast... but I am jogging at least half the time! Training C25K, and I'm only on week 3.

Anyone else noticing this? How can I make sure I'm recording the most accurate burn possible? Thanks!

Replies

  • sanfly
    sanfly Posts: 207 Member
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    Get a heart rate monitor, it's the only way to be consistent

    If I'm running with my heart rate up over 155bpm, I generally burn about 100 cal per 10 min, but there are a lot of variables that need to be taken into account eg: weight, age etc
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Are your friends 400 lbs? They'd have to be around that big to burn over 11 calories per minute walking, unless they're pushing a car.

    Here's a runners world articles that gives you some good ways to estimate your calorie burn for running and walking.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn

    For C25K, you'll have to use both the running and walking multiplier or pick a value in the middle.
  • tokyoshorty
    tokyoshorty Posts: 18
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    Thanks for the responses guys. I didn't factor in weight differences or any of that. I don't think the person who was using the app was trying to fix the calorie burns or anything... it's the same app, after all. But it's good to know that Endomondo is accurate. I'll stick with it then. If I end up not losing weight, I might invest in a heart monitor, but I'm not too keen on carrying a bunch of gadgets while I run, haha.

    In any case, thanks for the help!
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Endomondo had you at 6.9 calories per minute. If you're around 185 lbs., that's what you'd burn at a fast walk, according to that article I linked.
  • tokyoshorty
    tokyoshorty Posts: 18
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    That's pretty much spot on. :) I weigh 190-ish right now, so I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. Thank you very much!

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