Is heart rate accurate?

cranberrytape
cranberrytape Posts: 29 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
The recumbent bike I use at the gym has a heart monitor, and I entered my average heart rate into a calculator and got 284 calories for 27 minutes at an average heart rate of 163, which is actually higher than what MFP estimates. And from what I've heard MFP estimates are usually too high. I'm a 173 lb 20-year old woman. Does that sound right? I've entered it into multiple other heart rate calculators and gotten the same result.

Replies

  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Think about how many times those bikes get used and how many times it get calibrated?
  • cranberrytape
    cranberrytape Posts: 29 Member
    Think about how many times those bikes get used and how many times it get calibrated?

    What do you mean?
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Think about how many times those bikes get used and how many times it get calibrated?

    What do you mean?

    Well multiple people uses machines everyday to workout. I would never believe the heart rate on those things. Now if you buy HRM it would be a better guess of calories burned.
  • squeepig
    squeepig Posts: 89 Member
    The recumbent bike I use at the gym has a heart monitor, and I entered my average heart rate into a calculator and got 284 calories for 27 minutes at an average heart rate of 163, which is actually higher than what MFP estimates. And from what I've heard MFP estimates are usually too high. I'm a 173 lb 20-year old woman. Does that sound right? I've entered it into multiple other heart rate calculators and gotten the same result.

    Have you tried taking your pulse yourself as you exercise? Count it for 15 seconds and then multiply by 4. Then compare it to what the bike is telling you.

    Everyone is different. How much do you weigh? What is your fitness profile? Someone who is 300 lbs and out of shape is going to have their heart rate go much higher with less exercise than someone who is 160 lbs and fit. You should be striving to maintain a exercise heart rate of 85% of your maximum predicted heart rate. So, 220 minus your age is 200, which is your maximum predicted heart rate, and 85% of that is 170. Remember, the heartbeat monitor at a gym is just an estimate. Unless you're hooked up to an EKG, it's not going to give you a completely true number.
  • cranberrytape
    cranberrytape Posts: 29 Member
    Think about how many times those bikes get used and how many times it get calibrated?

    What do you mean?

    Well multiple people uses machines everyday to workout. I would never believe the heart rate on those things. Now if you buy HRM it would be a better guess of calories burned.

    Do you have any recommendations for inexpensive but reliable heart monitors? I don't need something super fancy, but I'd like something accurate, and I'm on a fairly tight budget so the fancy $80 HRMs are a no go.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Your fingers will be more accurate than the gadgets. They also don't require charging and are rarely left at home or in the car. Even in the hospital, when the machines come up with odd numbers, doctors and nurses use their fingers to see if it's right or not. Fingers are the best HRM around.

    Cheaper, better and more convenient - but they seem to be the last thing anyone wants to use.
  • slowbubblecar
    slowbubblecar Posts: 91 Member
    I travel for work and am always using different equipment. I cant speak for the bike specifically, but all machines are different when it comes to accuracy. Some are fairly accurate but some are off quite a ways in comparison with my HRM. I would save for a decent HRM or just under estimate or not rely on the calorie burn for your fitness goals. 284 calories for 28 minutes at a 163 average heart rate seems pretty reasonable for me assuming you were working the bike hard enough to have an average HR of 163.
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    I think estimates of calories burned on machines are about the most inaccurate of all. You don't enter your weight or your age. They don't ask are you sedentary or active, they just spill out a number of calories burned after so many minutes on the machineagig. Ignore them. MFP also has a history if overestimating calories burned. That's why one should never eat back more than 1/2 calories burned listed on any device, otherwise you could easily be overeating your workouts.

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