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jnite
jnite Posts: 108 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My HRM and treadmill are at huge odds on calories burned for my workouts. Ex. This morning my HRM said 150 calories burned and the treadmill said 200. Should i stick with the lower or split the difference?

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  • AleciaG724
    AleciaG724 Posts: 705 Member
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    Treadmills are notoriously inaccurate, and your HRM may be more accurate, however neither take into account the calories you would have burned just lying in bed, For most people that's 80-100 calories/hour. So what I do is take the HRM number and subtract 100 calories (just to be on the safe side). This really only matters if you are eating back all or some of your exercise calories... I typically only eat about half of mine back most days, as I am trying to lose 2#/week. If you have less weight to lose, you can be less aggressive. I hope this helps!
  • jnite
    jnite Posts: 108 Member
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    Thanks, i only have 10 to 15 pounds to lose so i will probably just go with what my HRM says. Thanks for the info.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    50 calorie differences are not "at huge odds". that's well within the margin for error and if you have trouble losing or gaining weight, it ain't gonna be because you were off by 50 calories.
  • Sobus76
    Sobus76 Posts: 242 Member
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    Treadmills are notoriously inaccurate, and your HRM may be more accurate, however neither take into account the calories you would have burned just lying in bed, For most people that's 80-100 calories/hour. So what I do is take the HRM number and subtract 100 calories (just to be on the safe side). This really only matters if you are eating back all or some of your exercise calories... I typically only eat about half of mine back most days, as I am trying to lose 2#/week. If you have less weight to lose, you can be less aggressive. I hope this helps!

    pretty sure my polar HRM takes my BMR into account. not all HRMs do probably. but to the OP, go with the HRM, i've yet to see a piece of equipment that was anywhere near accurate compared to my HRM.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    pretty sure my polar HRM takes my BMR into account. not all HRMs do probably. but to the OP, go with the HRM, i've yet to see a piece of equipment that was anywhere near accurate compared to my HRM.

    how do you know that your HRM was more accurate than the equipment? what independent source are you using to compare the two outputs?
  • Sobus76
    Sobus76 Posts: 242 Member
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    pretty sure my polar HRM takes my BMR into account. not all HRMs do probably. but to the OP, go with the HRM, i've yet to see a piece of equipment that was anywhere near accurate compared to my HRM.

    how do you know that your HRM was more accurate than the equipment? what independent source are you using to compare the two outputs?

    I am the independent source, i've used many different machines, apps, and HRMs. The HRM's are pretty close in the numbers after a workout, probably a variance of 20-30 calories at most doing the same workout on a treadmill, while the machines readings would vary by as much as 150 less.
    my home elliptical has a chest strap option, if i use the chest strap its on par with my HRM, if i dont its around 200 calories lower. which leads me to believe that a machine alone is not that accurate, and i think most people will agree that HRM's will be more accurate because its using your heart rate and not just a guess.

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