does runkeeper overestimate calories burned?

chloeealicee · June 2014

I don't have a HRM so i have to go by these numbers and i know that they aren't exact but does runkeeper have a good rep at estimating a reasonable amount?
I'm 5'4 and 114lbs and for example on yesterday's run i ran 3.1 miles in 30:12 seconds with an average pace of 9:41min per mile, would 280 calories sound accurate for this?

also has anyone compared their results to their HRM? thank you in advanced:)

chloeealicee · June 2014

Nobody?? Oh okay I'll just sit here alone and be embarresed.

RachelAngel01 · June 2014

My Runkeeper was wildly inaccurate both on GPS and on calories burned. Once I got my Garmin Forerunner 220, I compared results a couple of times, and it was not even close. Like, not even a little bit close.

Granted, I weigh a lot more than you and run a lot slower...so your numbers may be closer than mine were.

cwolfman13 · June 2014

sometimes you have to "bump" your thread to keep it popping up on the "Recent Posts" tab, otherwise it gets buried in all of the other activity. Also, it's Sunday so a lot of people aren't on MFP right now.

Anyway, it's hard to say...I've found runkeeper to be fairly accurate for running and walking but it grossly exaggerates calorie burn from my cycling...like by 60% or so. 280 sounds a tad high for your weight...but it's probably not that far off...I always figured about 100 calories per mile at my weight of 180.

Katrina2778 · June 2014

I utilized RunKeeper last night and according to it I burned 244 calories in 2miles. When I plugged the same pace (12 min a mile, don't judge haven't jogged in awhile

and minutes into Myfitnesspal it was calculated at 245 calories. Very close albeit I've heard Myfitnesspal overestimates calories burned as well. In the past, when i was jogging at a faster pace, the calories burned were always lower than that calculated by Myfitnesspal so I would always use RunKeeper numbers to prevent overestimation. But until we both get an accurate HRM we must do the best we can, workout and eat smart.

chloeealicee · June 2014

i figured that the figures it gave me were a tad high, i'll just have to take it with a pinch of salt by the sounds of it

TheVirgoddess · June 2014

The estimate it gave me yesterday was half of what it should have been (according to my FitBit). So for me, I'm having the opposite issue.

projhex · June 2014

Just about everything over-estimates calories burned.

catjrow3 · June 2014

I think it sounds like its about right. I am also heavier than you, but I use a heart rate monitor, and runkeeper, and I usually burn about the same from the runkeeper and heart rate monitor, and I am also about 100 calories per mile. So I think that 280 for 3.1 miles and only 114 lbs is probably a pretty good estimate (nothing is 100% accurate anyway)... Good job!

Cullottawoman · June 2014

My HRM and run keeper are usually within 50 calories. So I find it pretty reliable.

emuravyeva · June 2014

My RunKeeper and HRM are heaven and earth... I think RunKeeper assumes that certain activities elevate your heart rate X% regardless of who you are. So, for example, I took it for a walk the other day and it told me that I burned 197 calories in 20 minutes walking. The HRM said low 90s. This might be because my resting heart rate is below 60, but still. I think it depends on how your body functions.