HRM Reading seems wrong. Help?

TheTeeWhy
TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I just got off my treadmill, from a 30 minute walk/jogging, alternating between about 3.0 mph and 4.0 mph every minute or so. at the end of this workout my HRM read "523" for calories burnt. I didnt drop out of the 'zone' and I am 243 pounds. Does this seem right to anybody? I've heard that bigger people burn calories faster but I really doubt this is right seeing how my Treadmills built in thing(which is just an estimate cause you cannot enter in your details) said 230 calories burnt.

So confused! If i did burn this much, awesome but seriously doubt it.
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Replies

  • bigredhearts
    bigredhearts Posts: 428
    your hrm is much more accurate than the treadmill. id go with the hrm...
  • TheTeeWhy
    TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
    That seems CRAZY high though! Like I see people on my list doing insane workouts that dont get around there.
  • kellekaj
    kellekaj Posts: 11 Member
    That could very well be right. I'm 73kg and can burn between 300/350 calories in 30 minutes on the treadmill walking/running.
  • adjones_21
    adjones_21 Posts: 234 Member
    If your hrm asked for your age, weight, sex and a resting heart rate then it should be pretty accurate. Personally I believe that there is no CORRECT device to measure calories burned. Everyone is different. But like I said if it calls for the above then it should be as close to most accurate as there can be.
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
    Unless your HR was in the 160s or higher, I'd say that number is very high.
  • wvjanie
    wvjanie Posts: 37 Member
    I don't know about the HRM, but when in doubt I go with the lower number and figure I can only be ahead! Your weight loss should give you an idea of which is correct for future reference.
  • Rompa_87
    Rompa_87 Posts: 291 Member
    My HRM is sometimes higher than treadmill readings when I run but very close when I cycle. If there is a large discrepancy (and sometimes it is like a 200cal difference) I go by the smaller calories burnt to be conservative and on the safe side.
  • allenlisa
    allenlisa Posts: 96
    I took an hr walk today and burned 569 cals my avg HR was 128. I bet your HRM isn't off. Plus men burn more then women. When my husband goes on a walk with me he'll burn at least 100 more then me, partially becuz he's taller & heavier. I have also noticed that when I run I'll burn twice as many calories as doing another cardio/weight type work out. If your skeptical either do something else that you already know the calories or log it low. Never hurts to be under!
  • TheTeeWhy
    TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
    I am really kinda hoping this is right, because it was 70 bucks, and like... if I was gonna just get this, to find out it's a bit off, and use a lower number i'd save the money :S

    Is there some kinda equation I can do or something to figure this out? I AM a heavy guy and I do get tired out doing the exercise come the end of it but 500 is so high compared to the treadmills reading(which i know is just a general thing.
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
    It's best to just see if you get the same numbers on a similar workout. That tells you it is either right or consistently off.
  • TheTeeWhy
    TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
    Alright, I'll have to try somethin else soon. Would biking be drastically different in comparison to get a different number or should I try a bodyweight circuit training type thing ?
  • Soziberry
    Soziberry Posts: 115
    I hear you, have totally the opposite worry myself. I workout hard doing high energy dvd workouts and struggle to get over 200 in a 40 min session. Luckily I never eat all my exercise cals.
  • TheTeeWhy
    TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
    It's just worrysome/frustrating to think this could be inaccurate. It's not about the money, if it's wrong, I can take it back and get the moolah no problem at all, this is just kind of bothering me now.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    you can also try this website for estimating calorie burn:

    http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com/calculators/calories-burned-calculator-based-on-average-heart-rate/

    just use the average heart rate that you got on your HRM and the number of minutes for that average. If you don't know your V02 max, plug in 35 --DON'T LEAVE IT BLANK; IT WILL OVERESTIMATE.

    Bigger people burn more calories than smaller people at the same activity. As your size decreases and your fitness increases, you will burn fewer calories during the same activity.

    However, as you become more fit, you will have more lean muscle mass, and your lean muscle mass will burn calories for you even while you sleep, as long as you keep it fueled with enough good calories.

    blessings.
  • lil_pulp
    lil_pulp Posts: 701 Member
    It's just worrysome/frustrating to think this could be inaccurate. It's not about the money, if it's wrong, I can take it back and get the moolah no problem at all, this is just kind of bothering me now.
    If the HRM seemed to be displaying an accurate HR for you during your workout, I'd say its calorie reading is probably right. (Sometimes my HRM goes a little crazy and tells me my HR is 222 while I'm working out and so it tells me I burned a gazillion calories. Just something to be aware of.)
  • TheTeeWhy
    TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
    So basically my hrm is about 400 calories off according to that site V___________________V

    This is really freaking annoying me right now.
  • Scott156
    Scott156 Posts: 13
    I had the same question. My HRM says I burn 800+ calories on a 45 minute, fairly intense P90X cardio workout plus my max heart rate gets way higher then the "220 - age" estimates say. I'm only in the zone for about 5 minutes in a 45 minute workout the rest of the time I am way over but I feel ok and I am not pushing it that hard. I have since turned off my alarm on my HRM and just push my workouts until I feel uncomfortable and then back off a little. I usually only log half of the calories my HRM indicates in MFP and even then I don't eat those calories back. Then again, I'm about 30 LBS from my target so I have plenty of fat stores.
  • TheTeeWhy
    TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
    I thought maybe there was a setting off or something, your HRM sounds exactly like how mine would read a 45 minute workout, Scott. It's weird!
  • amber_hanners
    amber_hanners Posts: 388 Member
    what kind of hrm do you have??? i honestly think your hrm is right thats about 100 more then i would burn doing your workout so i think u r good but if u have an hrm with a starp and your heart rate was in the zone i think ur hrm is right on
  • TheTeeWhy
    TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
    i have a sportline SX. it has a strap and everything, and I even moistened the strap a bit to make sure that the electrodes would work and all that.
  • kleavitt1992
    kleavitt1992 Posts: 592 Member
    the heavier you are and being male the more calories you'll burn running for about 30mins at a moderate pace i burn about 340 and i only weigh 140lbs so id say yours is accurate
  • amber_hanners
    amber_hanners Posts: 388 Member
    yep i agree its accurate i have a polar ft4 and im about 200 pounds and can burn around 400 in 30 mins on a treadmill doing about what you did
  • torregro
    torregro Posts: 307
    Let's not reinvent the wheel here, folks.
    If you want to see if your heart rate monitor is accurate, stop yourself a couple of times while you're walking on the treadmill and check your pulse manually. Then compare that reading to the heart rate that you are showing on your heart rate monitor. They should be the same. You can take your pulse using your carotid artery (in the neck), or using a radial pulse (in your wrist).
    Just check it for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 or check it for 15 seconds and multiply by 4......whichever seems easier for you.
    If the reading you get manually is drastically different from what the heart rate monitor is showing, the HRM is defective.
  • webdiva1
    webdiva1 Posts: 326 Member
    forgive me if i missed it ... but what did your heart rate get up to during your workout? and about how long would you say it stayed there?
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
    i have a sportline SX. it has a strap and everything, and I even moistened the strap a bit to make sure that the electrodes would work and all that.

    I've been recently reading about this issue with Sportlines.

    Please remind us what your Average and Max HR numbers were. Just because you are XXX lbs and are walking at X.X pace doesn't mean you will burn XXX calories. Your prolonged and peak intensities are major factors in this equation.
  • TheTeeWhy
    TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
    My heartrate, when I was paying attention to the max was around 134 when I was checking. About 84-90 it sits at when I test it while resting.

    On the HRM now it says 217 as max and 170 as the average, and I know for a fact I didnt get that high...
  • webdiva1
    webdiva1 Posts: 326 Member
    Boy, if *I* was running/walking for 30 minutes, my heart rate would be off the charts. :)

    torregro has some good advice re: double-checking your HRM's accuracy. Think I'll be checking mine here before long, too.
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
    My heartrate, when I was paying attention to the max was around 134 when I was checking. About 84-90 it sits at when I test it while resting.

    On the HRM now it says 217 as max and 170 as the average, and I know for a fact I didnt get that high...

    If those are the numbers it registered as average & max, then that's why your calories burned are so high. The other people who had issues with Sportline reported the same problem. Hope it's a fluke and it gets itself back on track.
  • TheTeeWhy
    TheTeeWhy Posts: 186
    Like right now, I reset the thing since the last message, and it's sitting at...221.2 as the max, and 213 as the average.

    Could it be because it's sitting beside my computer monitor that THOSE are that high?

    Cause after the exercise I resetted the calories burnt so it wouldnt keep going and going and stuff. So the number DURING exercise probably would have been more accurate as the max.
  • MoonIite
    MoonIite Posts: 341 Member
    If you're using sportline you have to make sure the strap is on tight. I used Sportline before transitioning to Polar. I encountered the same problem as you, but after tightening the strap the problem went away. How long have you had it for? Try taking out the battery and putting it back in. Maybe that'll resolve the issue.
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