HRM cals burned vs. treadmill HR cals burned?

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Cytherea
Cytherea Posts: 515 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, so recently got a HRM, and today I went on the treadmill at my apartment's gym for the first time wearing it. To my surprise, I just so happened to buy the same brand that the treadmill is compatible with! I had no idea. So it was reading my HR before I even started working out!

As I went along, I kept checking my watch against the reading on the treadmill to see if it was accurate. For the most part, they were the same, though sometimes they were off a tiny bit.

So imagine my shock when I finished my workout, and I got two drastically different "calories burned" numbers! The difference was about 80 cals less on the treadmill than on my hrm. I did pause the treadmill twice while working out (to put my hair up and turn the fan on), but those few seconds couldn't possibly account for that much of a difference, could they?

Anyone ever seen this before? I thought that the hrm was supposed to be more accurate, but the treadmill should have been calculating off of the same numbers and such, so I'm confused.

Replies

  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
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    I have a cheast-strap HRM, and a treadmill that also has a chest strap. Sometimes the treadmill picks up the reading from the HRM chest strap, but not always. I would go with your watch.
  • jteammom
    jteammom Posts: 173
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    What a coincidence! I just got home from the gym after using my brand new HRMl for the very first time. And yes, this happened to me. The amount of calories my HRM recorded was about 1/3 less than those the elliptical counted. I hear this is quite common. At first I was a little irritated, but I figure I am now armed with better information to help me get these pounds off. I wonder if this happens more to women then men?
  • mydoc3
    mydoc3 Posts: 232 Member
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    I have a New Balance HRM and mine reads differently than the elliptical or treadmill. My HRM asks for my height, weight, sex and age. The elliptical/treadmill doesn't it only ask for my weight and age. So I would assume that the HRM is more accurate since I have to provide more info.

    Barb
  • husker_gal
    husker_gal Posts: 462 Member
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    My new HRM does the same thing with all the equipment at my gym! I just use everything from my watch because it's a really nice Polar ft60 and accounts for my gender, height, weight, and age where the treadmil is only going off of the heart rate.
  • daddyzgurl
    daddyzgurl Posts: 58
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    If you did not input your weight into the cardio machine then it is basing your "calories burned" on a 150 pound person. That is what cardio machines are calibrated to calculate as a standard- even if it is tracking you actual heart rate. Since the HRM chest strap measures you actual HR and the watch has your true weight factored in then it is far more accurate.
  • Suzeesmu
    Suzeesmu Posts: 159 Member
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    My Polar FT4 (chest strap and watch) measures lower than some gym equipment for calories burned, sometimes over 100 calories - however it is pretty similar if I am doing flat treadmill (no incline).

    The gym equipment I use does ask for weight and age which is entered (not height or gender). Some people will tell you to go with the numbers off the HRM, but I feel like the equipment is taking into account the varied resistance, incline, other factors (Like the AMT does arms when you are doing legs - so more muscle groups working), whereas the HRM only calculates off heart rate.

    People will disagree with me, but I go with the equipment numbers (if it's an elliptical or AMT) and the HRM if it's treadmill (unless I'm doing steep incline). I just don't believe that even though I keep my heart rate in range, when I'm working both upper and lower body at a level 6 or higher resistance that I'm burning the same amount of calories as if I'm walking on flat ground. It doesn't seem to make sense.

    You could also split the difference as nothing is 100% accurate. I find that the MFP numbers seem high to me, so I rarely use them or reduce them by about 1/3.
  • meanjeann
    meanjeann Posts: 40
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    I was glad to find this thread! I have been having this issue for weeks, now. I have lost weight and my body is in much better shape. With that in mind, I realize I have to work harder to get my heart rate up. But I just came back from the gym. I spent 60 minutes on the elliptical doing a HIIT type workout (interval training). The machine picks up my HR from my chest strap and I entered my weight and age. My watch said only 448 calories burned, while the machine said 750! That is the biggest discrepancy yet! I was starting to think something was wrong with my watch and/or chest strap.

    With that big of a gap, I'll just split the difference. But I would love to hear anyone else's opinion of what is causing such a drastic difference. My HR on both the machine and the watch is the same throughout the workout, so it's something in the way things are being calculated.
  • meanjeann
    meanjeann Posts: 40
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    bump
  • meanjeann
    meanjeann Posts: 40
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    bump

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