HRM for Figure Skating

PhysicsOnIce
PhysicsOnIce Posts: 46 Member
edited December 1 in Fitness and Exercise
So I've fallen of the band wagen recently in terms of eating. I figured that because I was competitively figure skating training for 2 hours 5- 6 days a week, I didn't really have to worry about over eating and I stopped logging completely and I stopped loosing weight. I want to change that again, so I've back to logging again. Luckily I have apparently been eating at maintenance without even trying since I have not gained weight thankfully. But I'd like to finally get down to my goal. So, i'm back logging.

The thing is that I want to know how to log my skating training. I have a heart rate monitor which I use for every sessions mainly to keep track of my calories and to see what my heart rate is during my program runs and to see improvement in my condition. Typically my HRM will say that I have burned around 500 kcals per hour of training with an average heart rate of around 160. This seems to me pretty reasonable since I can burn around 300 kcals in a 30 minute run. But I'm just wondering how accurate those readings are and how I should treat them for logging purposes.

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    HRM are only good for steady state cardio as long as they have a chest strap...

    not sure figure skating is considered steady state cardio like "walking" is
  • PhysicsOnIce
    PhysicsOnIce Posts: 46 Member
    Yeah, I know that HRM are most accurate for steady state cardio, but given that you are actually nearly constantly pushing in one way or the other while on the ice, I think they would be at least reasonable accurate, but that's really what this question is about. I know that when I step on the ice, I am constantly moving, unless I am in a lesson a which point I pause the HRM just because there is a lot of explanations from my coach and it is essentially a break for me.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    HRM are only good for steady state cardio as long as they have a chest strap...

    not sure figure skating is considered steady state cardio like "walking" is

    It'd depend on what she's doing. Something like stroking class or a compulsory dance would be, basic practice usually wouldn't - too much stopping and starting, sudden effort for jumps, etc. It'd more similar to interval work.
  • PhysicsOnIce
    PhysicsOnIce Posts: 46 Member
    stealthq wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    HRM are only good for steady state cardio as long as they have a chest strap...

    not sure figure skating is considered steady state cardio like "walking" is

    It'd depend on what she's doing. Something like stroking class or a compulsory dance would be, basic practice usually wouldn't - too much stopping and starting, sudden effort for jumps, etc. It'd more similar to interval work.

    Usually my sessions are approximately 15 minutes of warm up (i.e turn drills, power edges, etc.), 45 minutes jumps, 30 minute run throughs and program sections and then 30 minute spins
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    From what you describe, the only possibly steady-state you've got is the 15 min warm up. The rest really isn't. I wouldn't rely on an HRM for calorie counts for that. But you could use it as a starting point.

    What I would do is to pick a number that seems reasonable for your practice and eat that back every time. See what your weight loss does (lose as expected, lose slower, lose faster) and adjust the amount up or down based on your real world results.
  • PhysicsOnIce
    PhysicsOnIce Posts: 46 Member
    Okay, but how do you determine what a reasonable number for practice is? I mean to me ~500 kcal per hour seems like a reasonable number since it is below the 600 kcals I would burn on a 1 hour run. I would say that generally not as exhausted ( I might be equally as sweaty though) after one hour training as I am after a 1 hour run. But Of course If I am running back to back programs in one sessions that Is completely different since I have to maintain a heart rate of 180+ for 6+ minutes.

    So how do you determine what reasonable is?
    And how do you determine your effort?
    Would you cut that in half and say okay I get 300 kcals per hour of training and that's it?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    PhysicsOnIce wrote: »
    Okay, but how do you determine what a reasonable number for practice is? I mean to me ~500 kcal per hour seems like a reasonable number since it is below the 600 kcals I would burn on a 1 hour run. I would say that generally not as exhausted ( I might be equally as sweaty though) after one hour training as I am after a 1 hour run. But Of course If I am running back to back programs in one sessions that Is completely different since I have to maintain a heart rate of 180+ for 6+ minutes.

    So how do you determine what reasonable is?
    And how do you determine your effort?
    Would you cut that in half and say okay I get 300 kcals per hour of training and that's it?

    log it here and take 50-75%
    Effort has no bearing on calories burned...sometimes effort seems high other times effort seems low but you do the same workout in the same amount of time...
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