is my HRM accurate??????

adjones_21
adjones_21 Posts: 234 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
ok...I am soooo confused. I am wondering about how accurate my HRM is. So I put it on and got on my elliptical which came with a chest strap. Just as a test I worked out for about a minute or so and the elliptical registered 10 calories burned and my HRM only registered like 1. So what the hell???? Have all my calories burned this week been one big F-ING lie? I don't know what to think. Any advice or suggestions? Is my HRM registering too high or too low?

Replies

  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Is your HRM have your correct settings? Age, height, weight, sex? Machines usually underestimate or overestimate. For me, it's underestimate but before I was more in shape, it was overestimating....so yes, your calories burned could be wrong.
  • melibea
    melibea Posts: 228
    It is possible that being on the elliptical for only about a minute didn't get your heart rate up enough to burn as much calories as you would hope. But after you've been on the machine for longer and when your heart rate is really up, you are probably burning more calories per minute than at the beginning of the workout.

    Also, like others said, make sure both the machine and the HRM are set your your gender, weight, etc. The calorie estimation will be less accurate if isn't set correctly. But certainly... there will always be a difference between the amount your HRM says and what the machine says.
  • fastbelly
    fastbelly Posts: 727 Member
    One minute will not be enough to do any accurate calculation. Not one or the other is accurate in my opinion.

    Make sure you input all the correct data on your HRM and then check.

    The calorie counters used on most gym equipment isn't accurate though, and usually overestimate by a healthy margin.
  • bigislandgrrl
    bigislandgrrl Posts: 196 Member
    After much research on Heart Rate Monitors before I bought mine, it sounded as if reliability was a very big problem! I opted to spend a lil extra on a Polar F7 after many rave reviews here and online.

    What kind of monitor are you using?
  • schninie82
    schninie82 Posts: 502 Member
    I tested mine out and it was like that too... So I had to watch the heart rate go up and up after 30 minutes instead....
  • Getting_Fit_4_Life
    Getting_Fit_4_Life Posts: 401 Member
    I have the same question. My HRM is Sport Line. I paid about $70 at Sport Authority. I have used if severat times and it registererd lowered calories burned than my Treadmill displayed. I worked out for 30 minutes on 10% incline at 3.5 speed and my HRM told me I burned 250 calories but my Treadmill told me I burned 331 calories. My treadmill does not take my weight or age into consideration. However, I input my age and weight into my HRM monitor. So am not sure which one to go with either, but am just careful on how much of my exercise calories to eat back.
  • powderwave
    powderwave Posts: 5
    I am not an expert on this but I have used several different HRM in the past...They all calcuate calories burned differently. Some are very accurate and others are not depending on how the calculate...What type of HRM do you have? What information are you giving the treadmill in order to calc calories? Is the treadmill using your HR to determine calories burned? Does your HRM have VO2 Max Setting? Do you know what your VO2 max is?

    I use a polar HRM tonight and did 40 Min Run...Treadmill Said I burned more than my HRM did.....The treadmill had me input my weight (which it said was to calc proper calorie burn) My HRM showed much less than the treadmill. This is I think because I adjusted the VO2 max number on my HRM (which is inaccurate since I haven't ever done a real V02Max test)

    Then went to the Stairmaster 20 min (which didn't have the ability to record my HR) and after the workout was over the HRM was showing higher calories burned than the Stairmaster....I think that this was because my HR was from 165-175 which is high for me and of course burns more calories and my watch accounts for that....the Stairmaster may use some basic algorithm to calc calories

    The polar watch I use seems to be very accurate...I also have been using the Polar Precision Software with it which works great...Hope this sheds some light
  • adjones_21
    adjones_21 Posts: 234 Member
    I have a sportsline HRM from walmart...it was about $30. The reason I am begining to thing it is wrong is because when I set it up it didnt ask for my weight, just my age. My elliptical asks for my weight. So if I get a new HRM do I need to get one with a chest strap?
  • powderwave
    powderwave Posts: 5
    Yes For Sure....You can get some relatively inexpensive polar HRMs. Try Ebay or Amazon... I have found that polar are the most accurate. I have use the following in the past. i believe that they calc your calories burned using a combination of VO2 max and other parameters. Mine asks me for V02 Max, Weight, Height and Age. Age alone is not enough to calc caloires burned.

    Garmin (road bike)
    Suunto (old hrm)
    Cateye (mtn bike)
    Polar (all running treadmill ski machine etc)

    Check out the polar precision software by Polar...It is pretty cool and you can review several differentt parameters of your workout.

    Good Luck

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