Accuracy of Timex Heart Rate Monitor (628 cal in 30 min)

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pagemap
pagemap Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just bought a Timex T5K738 Personal Trainer Heart Rate Monitor and tried it out today for the first time in my 30 minute Spinning class. The HRM reported that I had burned 628 calories over a period of 30 minutes, 50 seconds, with an average heart rate of 156 (peak HR of 170).

I have the following configured in my HRM settings:

190 MAX Heart Rate (Since my age is 30)
200 lbs current weight

Does 628 calories seem accurate for 30 minutes of spinning? For comparison, the calorie estimator on the gym's bike reported that I burned 263 calories over the same period, but it didn't have any data such as my weight, max HR, etc.

Thanks!

Replies

  • Vince_1964
    Vince_1964 Posts: 359 Member
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    I've had some simliar questions on my new Timex HRM. I ran/walked yesterday ... a total of 3.3 miles in 40 minutes (23 mins run / 17 mins walk) ... the HRM said I'd burned 768 calories in 40 minutes. I maintained an average heart rate of 155 - so that burn number seems EXTREMELY high to me for my workout too.
  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
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    Yeah sounds about right considering your age.
  • pagemap
    pagemap Posts: 5 Member
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    I just thought 628 in 30 minutes seemed high, when the exercise bike reported 263.
  • efish3
    efish3 Posts: 7 Member
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    I just received a Timex Ironman Road Trainer HRM for Christmas (previously I had a Polar). I seem to be experiencing the same sort of thing...for example, I wore it for about a 4 hour time frame at work one day (doing mostly sitting and a bit of slow walking) and it said I burned almost 1700 calories. That can't be right, given that is more than my daily calorie allowance - I'm 33, 196lbs and 5'4". Is there a fix for this, or at least an explanation?
  • kcthatsme
    kcthatsme Posts: 5,136 Member
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    I didn't have that exact same model but I did ultimately find the Timex to be inaccurate. I switched to a Polar FT7. The price difference isn't too much.
  • scammah
    scammah Posts: 9
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    I am using the same model and I am getting pretty high rates myself. Just worked out for 32 minutes with a 25 lb kettle-bell and my calories are 490. I am 33 male, 5.10, and my resting heart rate is 90. All of the searching online I have done has told me to trust the HRM and disregard machines like the treadmill when it comes to heart rate.
    All of the calorie monitoring is close to a guessing game so you just have to trust in something and go with it to the best of your abilities.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    All of the searching online I have done has told me to trust the HRM and disregard machines like the treadmill when it comes to heart rate.

    You couldn't have searched very hard, since every HRM thread on MFP points out that HRMs are terrible for guesstimating calorie burns for a wide variety of exercise.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    Seems very high that's about double mine.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    ...for example, I wore it for about a 4 hour time frame at work one day (doing mostly sitting and a bit of slow walking) and it said I burned almost 1700 calories. That can't be right, given that is more than my daily calorie allowance - I'm 33, 196lbs and 5'4". Is there a fix for this, or at least an explanation?

    The "explanation" is user error - you are using it for something it's not designed to be used for. The only time it has a hope of being accurate is during extended periods of steady state cardio exercise - i.e., go running for 45 minutes.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Really impossible to tell but that's way higher than anything I've ever seen on my Polar FT7.

    For comparison:
    A 75 minute intense training session on a Spinning bike recently gave me 936 calories (average 147bpm - I have a fairly low heart rate). Pro rata for 31 mins would be 387.

    My maximum for an hour's training would be about 800 cals.

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