If You Are Going To Buy a HRM - THEN READ THIS PLEASE!!!!
Replies
-
Thanks for the post. I have a Polar FT7 and LOVE IT! I bought it because it had great reviews.
I was tired of getting such different readings from websites, the machines, mfp for the same exercises! I wanted to know what I was REALLY burning. I figured a HRM wouldn't be dead on but it would be a lot more accurate than what I was using.
Thanks again for the post and info, I do find it very interesting!0 -
Like others just mentioned : http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472
If you visit the Polar website and look up specifications for HRM they also have detail descriptions of their HRMs and their functions. I would recommend looking into those specs for further information.0 -
Just out of curiosity, what are the sources for this information? I'm not trying to discount the original writer's expertise out of hand, I'd just like to know more about his/her background. People have vastly differing opinions on all matters regarding health and fitness, so I always like to know more about the background of a writer.
Personally, I'm inclined to think I'm getting pretty accurate numbers (if not a bit on the low side) from my heart rate monitor. Why do I think that? Because I'm losing weight, and probably faster than my 'on paper' numbers indicate I should be.
Also, my HRM lets me see fitness information beyond the calorie burn estimate. I can see that my resting heart rate is lower now than it was 3 months ago. I also know that I have to work a lot harder now to get my heartrate up into my training zone as I've become more fit. I like having information like that, and I think my HRM is a handy tool.
Sources are as mentioned previous : Polar HRM specifications and the link of the author I provided. Also, no one is saying that you should go out and buy another one. I am simply providing this accurate information for people who keep asking the same questions over and over again. This author made it pretty clear and concise/easy to understand. If you are happy with your HRM, good for you.0 -
great info! thanks!0
-
bump0
-
bump encouraging others to get a HRM!0
-
bump0
-
Question for those who are touting the higher end models - have you actually gauged them vs. the lower Polar Models (like the F6/FT7) - I am curious, if we are going for accuracy, how much of a difference do you get when wearing the different models doing a similar exercise at a similar exertion - or could you wear both HRM at the same time and test them against each other? I have an FT7, and I really like it, to me, I think it works, at least for a "guide" to calories burned, it seems to be working for me like another posted stated...even if it is not perfectly accurate...hope I am making sense...0
-
Completely agree with erniemj. I would like to see some hard data about this. If you can prove to me that the kcal difference is SIGNIFICANT then maybe I would consider a higher end HRM. Show me that, by including the V02 my calorie burn, it is >10% more accurate. If I burn 500 kcal during a 60 min workout according to my FT7, but in reality only burned 480 kcal, how is that going to alter my day? What if I actually burned 530 kcal? If I am consistently under my daily calorie goal for losing weight, 20 kcal of inaccuracy isn't going to make that much of a difference. Not to mention the fact that I have a VERY hard time believing calorie counts on food containers. Why do all calorie counts end in 0? You are telling me that you know for sure that a tablespoon of peanut butter is exactly 200 kcal, not 208 or 196? The drive for accuracy may not be as exact as some would like, but +/- 30-40 kcal/day isn't really that big of a deal. I think you have great information here, but for the general public a lower end HRM with calorie counter is a GREAT place to start. It gets the job done.0
-
bump?0
-
i'm bumpin' this too...0
-
bump0
-
Completely agree with erniemj. I would like to see some hard data about this. If you can prove to me that the kcal difference is SIGNIFICANT then maybe I would consider a higher end HRM. Show me that, by including the V02 my calorie burn, it is >10% more accurate. If I burn 500 kcal during a 60 min workout according to my FT7, but in reality only burned 480 kcal, how is that going to alter my day? What if I actually burned 530 kcal? If I am consistently under my daily calorie goal for losing weight, 20 kcal of inaccuracy isn't going to make that much of a difference. Not to mention the fact that I have a VERY hard time believing calorie counts on food containers. Why do all calorie counts end in 0? You are telling me that you know for sure that a tablespoon of peanut butter is exactly 200 kcal, not 208 or 196? The drive for accuracy may not be as exact as some would like, but +/- 30-40 kcal/day isn't really that big of a deal. I think you have great information here, but for the general public a lower end HRM with calorie counter is a GREAT place to start. It gets the job done.
@kapeluza
You still haven't answered my questions. BUMPity BUMP bump0 -
Great info! Thanks!0
-
Completely agree with erniemj. I would like to see some hard data about this. If you can prove to me that the kcal difference is SIGNIFICANT then maybe I would consider a higher end HRM. Show me that, by including the V02 my calorie burn, it is >10% more accurate. If I burn 500 kcal during a 60 min workout according to my FT7, but in reality only burned 480 kcal, how is that going to alter my day? What if I actually burned 530 kcal? If I am consistently under my daily calorie goal for losing weight, 20 kcal of inaccuracy isn't going to make that much of a difference. Not to mention the fact that I have a VERY hard time believing calorie counts on food containers. Why do all calorie counts end in 0? You are telling me that you know for sure that a tablespoon of peanut butter is exactly 200 kcal, not 208 or 196? The drive for accuracy may not be as exact as some would like, but +/- 30-40 kcal/day isn't really that big of a deal. I think you have great information here, but for the general public a lower end HRM with calorie counter is a GREAT place to start. It gets the job done.
@kapeluza
You still haven't answered my questions. BUMPity BUMP bump
Like I said, I didn't write this. Personally, I thought it was a fantastic base to start with when I started looking for my HRM. I took the information that I found useful from this and ran with it. I was just sharing this info with others in hopes that they might be able to use it to their advantage like I did. If you want to get down to specifics I suggest visiting HRM's websites looking into the specifications for the models.
Personally, before buying my Polar FT60, I had gotten a Timex and the first day I exercised with it, it gave me a 600 calorie count for a 30 min work out on the elliptical. This Timex was an affordable model that I bought from a trusted source, Academy, and it was brand new. I was skeptical about 600 calories (my Polar gives me a calories count of 250-300), when the machine was reading 300+.So no, it wasn't just a "+- 30/40 calories count it was a +300 difference. I don't know about you but that is WAY off and will totally mess with people's calorie tracking.
So I asked on these forums and someone directed me to the website/blog I posted in this thread. I used all that information to make a new purchase on a model that has a chest strap and calculates Vo2max. Had I kept that Timex model, guess what was going to happen? My numbers/calorie deficits were going to be completely off and I would have probably not been losing weight as I am now.
I returned the Timex HRM back to Academy and asked if the watch was defective and it wasn't. Now take into consideration that this Timex model cost me $69.00 and it would only let me input my weight but not my sex, height, age which can also be a determining factor for calorie count. Also, it did not calculate personal Vo2max. At the end of the day, everyone can use whatever they like and I am not here trying to make everyone change their minds or go out and buy a new HRM. You do what you want. For the 50th time, I posted this for people asking the same things about HRM and quite honestly that was an informative post. If you are unhappy with the article, then move on, it's not like the article is stating lies and misinforming the public, sheesh.0 -
Bump
* thanks for posting this! * :flowerforyou:0 -
I am presently saving up for a very good HRM. Thanks for sharing the helpful info.0
-
Completely agree with erniemj. I would like to see some hard data about this. If you can prove to me that the kcal difference is SIGNIFICANT then maybe I would consider a higher end HRM. Show me that, by including the V02 my calorie burn, it is >10% more accurate. If I burn 500 kcal during a 60 min workout according to my FT7, but in reality only burned 480 kcal, how is that going to alter my day? What if I actually burned 530 kcal? If I am consistently under my daily calorie goal for losing weight, 20 kcal of inaccuracy isn't going to make that much of a difference. Not to mention the fact that I have a VERY hard time believing calorie counts on food containers. Why do all calorie counts end in 0? You are telling me that you know for sure that a tablespoon of peanut butter is exactly 200 kcal, not 208 or 196? The drive for accuracy may not be as exact as some would like, but +/- 30-40 kcal/day isn't really that big of a deal. I think you have great information here, but for the general public a lower end HRM with calorie counter is a GREAT place to start. It gets the job done.
@kapeluza
You still haven't answered my questions. BUMPity BUMP bump
Like I said, I didn't write this. Personally, I thought it was a fantastic base to start with when I started looking for my HRM. I took the information that I found useful from this and ran with it. I was just sharing this info with others in hopes that they might be able to use it to their advantage like I did. If you want to get down to specifics I suggest visiting HRM's websites looking into the specifications for the models.
Personally, before buying my Polar FT60, I had gotten a Timex and the first day I exercised with it, it gave me a 600 calorie count for a 30 min work out on the elliptical. This Timex was an affordable model that I bought from a trusted source, Academy, and it was brand new. I was skeptical about 600 calories (my Polar gives me a calories count of 250-300), when the machine was reading 300+.So no, it wasn't just a "+- 30/40 calories count it was a +300 difference. I don't know about you but that is WAY off and will totally mess with people's calorie tracking.
So I asked on these forums and someone directed me to the website/blog I posted in this thread. I used all that information to make a new purchase on a model that has a chest strap and calculates Vo2max. Had I kept that Timex model, guess what was going to happen? My numbers/calorie deficits were going to be completely off and I would have probably not been losing weight as I am now.
I returned the Timex HRM back to Academy and asked if the watch was defective and it wasn't. Now take into consideration that this Timex model cost me $69.00 and it would only let me input my weight but not my sex, height, age which can also be a determining factor for calorie count. Also, it did not calculate personal Vo2max. At the end of the day, everyone can use whatever they like and I am not here trying to make everyone change their minds or go out and buy a new HRM. You do what you want. For the 50th time, I posted this for people asking the same things about HRM and quite honestly that was an informative post. If you are unhappy with the article, then move on, it's not like the article is stating lies and misinforming the public, sheesh.
"Sheesh" is right. I think you got a little more worked up about my response than I intended. I said nothing about lies or misinformation, I just would like to see the numbers supporting the claim. I have the Polar FT7, a HRM that has a chest strap, requires that I input my age, gender, height and weight. No, I didn't buy a HRM that is a watch, I bought one that actually tracks my HR. What I am trying to say is I seriously doubt that adding my VO2 max, not to mention the addition $80 required to obtain a model with that, isn't going to make that much of a difference since I have 4/5 of the required data points you mentioned for the calculation. Yes, I do think you should spend the money to buy a HRM that has a chest strap and asks for your personal numbers. Do I think the VO2 max is gonna change my calorie counting that much? No. In the end, being accurate down to the very last calorie isn't necessary, nor is it the point. If I can lose 30lbs with an $80 Polar FT7 and come away with a pretty accurate idea of my daily calorie burn then I am satisfied. I don't need to drop another $80 To get a higher end Polar model that includes one more data point for the calculation but gives me the same results.
To your point about the Timex POC HRM, that does suck. Yes, being off by 300 kcal is a lot. But then again, I haven't bought a Timex anything since I was a teenager. When I started looking for a HRM I decided to look at companies that specialize in HRM's, not cheap watches. So my suggestion for the forum is to avoid companies that are obviously in it to cash in on the trend, like a Timex brand.
Anyway.0 -
I just got a Polar FT7 off ebay-I did try for an FT60 but it went too high.
So far I really like it. The calorie counts have been pretty close to MFP - guess that means I'm more 'average' than I thought.
One thing I do before recording the calories is take out my TDEE calculation before recording (~1.2 cal/min) so I'm not double-counting. And I eat in a range so if it's still off by 10-15% that I still have a deficit if it's high, and not too much of one if it's low. Means slooooow weight loss some days but it's there.
The part I like about the FT7 is the fitness/fat burning zone- I know that's pretty much been debunked but I can still use it as a gauge to see if I'm doing more fat burning or more overall fitness improvement.0 -
Just out of curiosity, what are the sources for this information? I'm not trying to discount the original writer's expertise out of hand, I'd just like to know more about his/her background. People have vastly differing opinions on all matters regarding health and fitness, so I always like to know more about the background of a writer.
Personally, I'm inclined to think I'm getting pretty accurate numbers (if not a bit on the low side) from my heart rate monitor. Why do I think that? Because I'm losing weight, and probably faster than my 'on paper' numbers indicate I should be.
Also, my HRM lets me see fitness information beyond the calorie burn estimate. I can see that my resting heart rate is lower now than it was 3 months ago. I also know that I have to work a lot harder now to get my heartrate up into my training zone as I've become more fit. I like having information like that, and I think my HRM is a handy tool.
I agree, ... I am pleased with my FT4.... it's a basic idea that I needed... and I just didn't need bells and whistles.0 -
Good article!
I have an Polar FT4, and absolutely LOVE it!0 -
I strongly disagree with #3!!!!! And you actually contradicted yourself later on. All HRMs do NOT have the same level of accuracy when courting calories. If you do not have the chest strap, etc it is NOT as accurate
3. All HRMs have the same level of accuracy when counting calories. .
...
However, if you want the most accurate caloric estimation, there are significant differences between brands and models.
Just because an HRM provides a calorie count doesn't mean that number is any more accurate than one from a machine or even a number you just made up. Manufacturers know this feature is popular--some will stick any old number on the display to make you think you are "measuring" calories.
For greatest calorie count accuracy, an HRM must have the following features:
1. Chest strap sensor for continuous monitoring
2. Ability to manually input HR max, VO2 max, gender, age weight and HR rest.
3. Sophisticated analysis technology and software which has been validated on large numbers of test subjects.
I think you need to go back and read that again.
What he's doing is pointing out the common misconceptions about HRM's and then explaining why they are not true.
So no he did not contradict himself at all because he is explaining that there is significant difference between brands and models, and that you need a chest strap etc in order to get the more accurate calorie count.0 -
Great article0
-
bump! great information! thanks!0
-
bump0
-
Yes, OP, I know I did not intend to discount the information that you were passing along from another esteemed member, who clearly knows a lot more than I do, and I do not believe the other poster who agreed with me Vaston, intended to do so either, I think we are both curious if anyone had actually TESTED the accuracy of the higher end vs. the lower end, rather than just mentioning the specifications and the data input, etc. I really just wanted to know if any MFP users had actually attempted to wear 2 HRM or performed some other type of test. And like I said, I understand that no HRM or food logging is 100% accurate, but as long as it provide a good guide to it, I am happy! I appreciate the information, and I am not discounting it any way, and I am still happy with my purchase in spite of knowing that it may not be as accurate as the higher end models that have a more complex scientific method of measuring HR and calories burned. Thank you again for posting, it is greatly appreciated.0
-
Thanks for this info!!0
-
thanks for the info0
-
Bump thanks!0
-
bump0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions