Treadmill

Paradokx
Paradokx Posts: 28 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How do you guys accurately track calories burned on a treadmill?

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I just log it as whatever speed and length of time...ex: walking 3.5mph for 30 min
  • Paradokx
    Paradokx Posts: 28 Member
    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    I just log it as whatever speed and length of time...ex: walking 3.5mph for 30 min

    Oh yes! I worry as mfp gives higher calories burned when u do that than vs what treadmill gives so im unsure which is accurate
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,661 Member
    I'm currently not logging exercise into MFP, because I'm working the TDEE method instead, but IF I were to log my treadmill work - Id use this calculator: https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,755 Member
    I go by time and distance as well. My TM seems to think I weigh 200 lbs. so overstates the calories by a lot. MFP also supposedly overstates, but the numbers have worked for me. I eat back all the calories it gives. That may be because I don't include incline or hills for my walks and runs though they do burn more calories than running on the flat.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Ditto's to link - get a few speeds down you see, for hourly rate, see if treadmill is using that info already.
    Then you can setup your own workouts.
    Remember to change as weight does.

    Treadmill is probably using same formulas for Gross burn as most things would, but that link allows using Net which in the case of MFP is what should be logged.

    That's why the database seems high, for many things it's actually correct when a given pace or speed is used (except biking) for gross burn, but net is what you want logged.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 921 Member
    When I run on my parents' treadmill it usually has a much higher estimate for calorie burn than my running app or heart rate monitor that I use when I run outside.

    I know that heart rate monitors are not the most accurate for calorie burn --- but when I run outside I use a combination of my running app estimate and my HRM estimate and choose a number in between them and that seems to work fairly well for me.

    If I were you and you aren't using a HRM --- I'd just find a couple online calculators that would take into account your age/sex/weight/height/ and speed/pace and get a decent estimate of how many cals you burned and put that in.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Only thing that matters is mass and pace for time - age and gender doesn't matter, height is minimal difference in recent studies unless comparing extremes.

    Link in prior post is exactly what's needed.

    It is interesting comparing HRM estimate as seasons change, especially to better online compare.

    When colder fall running was going, my HR was about 10 bpm lower for equal pace/weight just not dealing with the heat. I'd have to check records when that happened, needed to be decently cooler for me.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Paradokx wrote: »
    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    I just log it as whatever speed and length of time...ex: walking 3.5mph for 30 min

    Oh yes! I worry as mfp gives higher calories burned when u do that than vs what treadmill gives so im unsure which is accurate

    MFP is giving you gross calories. Double counting the calories you would have burned in that time period whether you are exercising or not which is a big deviation for slow rate of burn activities such as walking. It's not a good choice if looking for accuracy. Questionable how necessary accuracy is for the purpose of weight control unless you are doing a very high volume.

    Suggest using the calculator linked above and pick the net calorie option.

    If your treadmill asks your weight you would be able to play with that number to get the treadmill close enough to be plenty good enough for purpose or you could simply work out a reasonable estimate for the difference between net and gross and do some simple maths.
    e.g. my rough calories per hour when not exercising is 100cals so I would take 100cals off MFP's estimate for an hour of walking.

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