Stationary bike calories

bllaura10
bllaura10 Posts: 42 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When I go to the gym I like to either jog on the treadmill or do the stationary bike. I find jogging much more tiring but I can usually burn more calories biking in the same amount of time (according to the machine). I know the calorie burn is overestimated on the machines sometimes but my question is am I actually burning approx the number of calories of the stationary bike? For example today it said I did 730 calories in 50 minutes and yesterday I jogged for 45 minutes and only burned 450 but was much more tired.

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    730 bike calories in 50 minutes is a serious effort for somebody who's been cycling for a decade and in good shape.
  • bllaura10
    bllaura10 Posts: 42 Member
    That’s what I mean... it’s hard to believe but that’s the read out the machine is telling me and I find it hard to believe because I’m exerting myself but not like crazy.
  • jennyhoon
    jennyhoon Posts: 138 Member
    That's what I have been experiencing. My walking of 6.2km , 1hr 21min, gave me 593 calories, I didn't sweat so much, just tiring after a good walk in evening.
    At gym, after 45min of recumbent bike, I burnt 532 calories, sweating so much.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Your weight and distance covered would let you get a good net calorie estimate for your running.
    Bodyweight in pounds X distance in miles X 0.63 (efficiency ratio).

    For cycling although 730 net caloriess in 50mins is in the realms of possible it would probably be a male, very fit, experienced cyclist, trying hard to achieve that. For a female it would be truly exceptional.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    edited March 2019
    jennyhoon wrote: »
    That's what I have been experiencing. My walking of 6.2km , 1hr 21min, gave me 593 calories, I didn't sweat so much, just tiring after a good walk in evening.
    At gym, after 45min of recumbent bike, I burnt 532 calories, sweating so much.

    Not wanting to burst your bubble but walking that distance wouldn't burn anywhere near those calories. To estimate actual expenditure walking multiply your body weight in lbs x. 30 x the distance in miles (sorry my brain can't do the metric conversion right now) 6.2km is just under 4 miles (so I'll round up for simplicity) a 20lb (91kg) person walking 4 miles (6.4 km) would burn an additional 240 cal approximately.

    On the bike you calories per km are based on wattage...one of the most ego deflating things I did a couple of years ago was to install a power meter on my bike. Based on wattage I have to ride (indoors) about 90 minutes at close to 40 km/h to burn 530 calories. Outside is different inasmuch as there are terrain changes, headwinds etc to deal with.

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