What? How can a 110 min leisurely bike ride burn 852 calorie

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ryanclemson
ryanclemson Posts: 4
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't understand how this can be accurate? How can a 110 min leisurely bike ride burn 852 calories if I weigh 255?? It was a flat course and I hardly broke a sweat! If this is even remotely accurate, this is great news. Can any calories experts confirm or deny?

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  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
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    A lot of the calorie estimates for exercise on MFP are too high, when people compare them to the figures they get with an HRM. So, I wouldn't assume you actually burned that many... but for 110 minutes, you probably burned quite a few, so good for you!
  • michelle_mareshfuehrer
    michelle_mareshfuehrer Posts: 312 Member
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    Did you use an HRM? When I estimate my calorie burn for walking for an hour using MFP, it tells me it would be like 300 or so calories, but my HRM actually shows that I burn 600. I think that's crazy, but it's one with a chest strap so it is accurate.
  • CindyWho4
    CindyWho4 Posts: 9
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    Hi. I know I'm new here, this is only my second post, but I had to comment on this because I wondered something similar. I have an exercise bike that has programmed workouts that stair step up and down in resistance, and is supposed to be similar to riding outside. The number of calories burned that is displayed on the bike is always at least 100 calories less than MFP's "stationary bike" counts list. I stick with typing in my readout from bike, but it kind of sucks when I see posts from my friends that they rode the same amount of time outside on flat ground, and burned 200+ more calories lol. But I agree, 120 minutes on a bike is AWESOME either way. Way to go!!
  • 2stepz
    2stepz Posts: 814 Member
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    I don't understand how this can be accurate? How can a 110 min leisurely bike ride burn 852 calories if I weigh 255?? It was a flat course and I hardly broke a sweat! If this is even remotely accurate, this is great news. Can any calories experts confirm or deny?

    MFP can't determine what terrain you were riding in, or what the weather conditions were... If you rode a flat course with little wind resistance and low heat/humidity... it probably would be way off. On the other hand, if I did 110 mins here, with 90+ heat, 85% humidity, and the drastic hills in my neighborhood, I'd probably burn more than 900 calories. MFP is an average based on many variables. Your ride was probably on the low side of that. What you did burn, I can't begin to guess. This is why a HRM is handy.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Well, that's 464 calories an hour, which seems a little high for "leisurely" anything. I can see burning that on an exercise bike where you're in constant motion, but if you consider that a small but decent chunk of outside bike riding involves coasting...
  • kaytedawg05
    kaytedawg05 Posts: 209
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    I don't understand how this can be accurate? How can a 110 min leisurely bike ride burn 852 calories if I weigh 255?? It was a flat course and I hardly broke a sweat! If this is even remotely accurate, this is great news. Can any calories experts confirm or deny?

    this is why i don't eat my workout calories... besides that i don't want to eat all day long.... i think some of the numbers are inacurate.... my 90 min moderate bike ride was 1300 sum odd cal... which is nice if its true... but idk... it's just nice to keep track of what ur doing, don't put all ur stock in it.
  • JThomas61
    JThomas61 Posts: 892
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    I did a 50 mile ride today in 2:18 and only burnt 1032 calories according to my HRM...the spin bike over estimated the calories burnt my nearly 800. Don't trust the MFP estimations or the machines, the estimations don't take into account your age, gender, or how hard you are working. The machines don't either.
  • wigglentwink
    wigglentwink Posts: 336 Member
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    I don't eat my excercise calories, so it doesn't matter one way or the other what MFP tells me. I appreciate the high estimates. It makes me feel successful.

    Now, when I do start eating my excercise calories during maintenance, I will be picking up a heart rate monitor. Until then....this girl burned 1300 calories gardening today. :)
  • bunchesonothing
    bunchesonothing Posts: 1,015 Member
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    The MFP estimates are ummm... estimates, but I don't necessarily think HRM's are terribly accurate either. I think it makes us feel they're more accurate... and they often come out lower, so we use them.

    I could watch a scary movie and and wear a heart rate monitor through it, and it would probably record one hell of a workout. :P
  • bunchesonothing
    bunchesonothing Posts: 1,015 Member
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    On another note, I'm about half your weight. And for 10 minutes more of what I would call a leisurely paced run, I burned 1000 calories. It's not terribly impossible. It was a leisurely pace, but 110 minutes is a long time... and you're man sized... :)
  • bunchesonothing
    bunchesonothing Posts: 1,015 Member
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    this is why i don't eat my workout calories... besides that i don't want to eat all day long.... i think some of the numbers are inacurate.... my 90 min moderate bike ride was 1300 sum odd cal... which is nice if its true... but idk... it's just nice to keep track of what ur doing, don't put all ur stock in it.

    My husband burns a ridiculous amount of calories cycling... and this was before he used myfitnesspal. These were based on his hrm. So, it's not impossible. Go the safe route when recording... just, don't be surprised if it is true.
  • AshinAms
    AshinAms Posts: 283 Member
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    It's not always true that the machines are inaccurate. My gym uses Technogym equipment where each machine accesses your stats from a smartkey and you have to wear a chest strap while exercising. Age and weight are on the key, so are max HR, VO2 and other stats. HR comes via continuous monitoring from the strap.

    In this case the machines are accurate.
    Ashleigh
    I did a 50 mile ride today in 2:18 and only burnt 1032 calories according to my HRM...the spin bike over estimated the calories burnt my nearly 800. Don't trust the MFP estimations or the machines, the estimations don't take into account your age, gender, or how hard you are working. The machines don't either.
  • SoCalSwimmerDude
    SoCalSwimmerDude Posts: 480 Member
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    I always assumed MFP to be way overestimated before I invested in an HRM. The HRM is actually usually pretty close to MFP. I'd say MFP is about 5-10% higher. As you get accustomed to what your heart rate is for certain amount of times and what that means in terms of calorie burn, it actually helps you figure things out when you don't have your HRM (swimming, for instance - since my HRM didn't work in the water).

    So as an above poster mentioned - Don't be surprised if MFP is more accurate than you may think.
  • monkeysmum
    monkeysmum Posts: 522 Member
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    i usually find mfp is lower i use wii fit board that has my height etc worked in and for the jogging mfp is around 60cals lower burn but it seems very high for the swimming i do once a week i think a hrm with chest strap is the best bet now if only i could afford one
  • Jaradel
    Jaradel Posts: 143 Member
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    A couple weeks ago I did a 90 minute bike ride, 12 miles, and according to my HRM I burned over 1100 calories. The terrain varied, and there were a few monster (to me) hills that took quite a bit of effort to climb, so I'm inclined to believe that my HRM was fairly accurate. I still wouldn't eat all of those calories though, maybe half at most (in addition to my regular daily allowance).
  • georgiajuly
    georgiajuly Posts: 126
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    I usually average around 450-500 calories per hour by my HRM, at an average heart rate around 137 (85% max). My husband probably weighs around 250, and his burn is higher. Sweating varies depending on temperature, humidity, etc. My speeds are slow, 10-14 mph, just because.
  • ryanclemson
    ryanclemson Posts: 4
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    thanks everybody for the replies!
  • Beautifulbridgittlee7
    Beautifulbridgittlee7 Posts: 352 Member
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    Hmm, I weigh around 140 to145 and I average 400-650 an hour depending on the intensity and the resistance. I know that if I'm pushing it, I'm sweating and feel my heart rate up there, get out of breathe somewhat.

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