Heart Rate Monitors accuracy

miss_p90x
miss_p90x Posts: 97 Member
edited October 5 in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone use a HRM (heart rate monitor) on regular basis? I have polar FT7 HRM and sometimes I get surprised at the number of calories I burn after a workout. Like last week, it told me that I had burned around 350 calories, I had only walked for 30 minutes at a moderate pace. Other days, I normally do P90x and normally I get a number between 700-1100 depending on what session I had done for the day. I am starting to question if the calories shown on the watch are accurate. When I used to run on the treadmill (and I mean run and barely walk), I used to get 100-150 calories for 30 minutes or so.

I know Polar is one of the best HRM makers out there, so let me know if you have seen anything like what I am seeing with my watch. Thanks!

Replies

  • nellie_88
    nellie_88 Posts: 256 Member
    I use a garmin HRM with a chest strap... I get over 200 calories doing a 30 min light jog, if you have it set up with your weight, age etc. they are pretty accurate. My treadmill at home says I burn more calories then what my HRM says. I log everything based on my HRM.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    That sounds high. Walking uses very little calories in truth. Only a very vigorous walk uses a good deal of calories. HRM tend to be either too high or too low. But it's all pretty much an estimate. People have different metabolisms that determine how fast and how many calories they really burn. Only high intensity training burns a significant amount of calories.
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
    First let me ask, did you already enter your age, weight, height, etc?
  • miss_p90x
    miss_p90x Posts: 97 Member
    Yes, when I set up, I had entered my age, weight, height and the sex. I am just getting surprised at the number of calories it gives me, I guess I am used to the Treadmill numbers!
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    did you wet the strap?
  • Crystals422
    Crystals422 Posts: 382 Member
    I have a Polar Ft4 and entered in my weight, height, age, and sex. I also adjust my weight when I lose weight. I get a high burn on my walks as well. I know that my friend use to have a good burn on her walks until she started running miles everyday. Now that her heart is is very good shape she hardly burns any calories walking.
  • shmo1969
    shmo1969 Posts: 85 Member
    If you entered your weight, age and height then I would say it is pretty accurate. Everyone burns depending on their fitness levels and weight. If your HR got up there then you could burn that much in 30 min. I have the Polar FT 4, and it has me around 100 cal less than what the machines (treadmill, elliptical) say per hour of exercise. Keep an eye on how high your HR is, and if it is in the max of your zone or not.
  • dbarnes8888
    dbarnes8888 Posts: 1
    I have used a Polar HRM for the last 2 years. I jog mostly and walk very little and burn around 350 calories for about 32 minutes. If you HRM is above your heart rate upper limit the more calories you burn. If you don't even make your lower limit then you burn less calories. Walking at a moderate rate I never burn many calories, usually around 250 in about 30 - 35 minutes.
  • Shaping_My_Destiny
    Shaping_My_Destiny Posts: 43
    I wondered the same. I work my butt off with a trainer at the gym for an hour doing cardio and strengh training and it says I burn about 350 calories. It feels like a lot more than that, particularly at my weight.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    HRM's are generally about 80-90% accurate. Pretty much everything related to calories will only be about 80-90% accurate.
  • BigDaddyBRC
    BigDaddyBRC Posts: 2,395 Member
    Yes, when I set up, I had entered my age, weight, height and the sex. I am just getting surprised at the number of calories it gives me, I guess I am used to the Treadmill numbers!

    If you have lost/gained weight (pending your goals) have you reset to your current values. If so, then it is good.
  • Twybecker
    Twybecker Posts: 2
    The treadmill Calorie counts are very inaccurate, the tv's, lights etc around them can alter the calorie burn, don't rely on those at all. The Polars are pretty accurate, but they too are a ball park. There are Polars that do a heart test (the f-11 I believe), this measures your fitness level including your vo2 and will be the most accurate in giving you a calorie burn based on your age, weight, sex and fitness level. You are supposed to do a test regularly to keep the information up to date.
  • kenamesbury
    kenamesbury Posts: 1
    I've got a Polar Wearlink, which I wear with a chest strap, and it's linked to my Nike+ watch; the calories burned equal up to what this website shows. You'd be surprised what 1/2 and hour of any exercise will burnoff.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    See, everytime I've tested treadmills compared to HRM's, I've always gotten very similar numbers. So if treadmills are really that inaccurate, then HRM's must be also that bad. Personally I don't think treadmills are that far off compared to how much HRM "freaks" try to demonize them to convince people to buy HRM's.

    Also, there are many different things that can throw off your heart rate, and the numbers from an HRM, like the heat, humidity, altitude, dehydration, etc. All those things can have an effect on your heart rate, which can hurt the accuracy of an HRM.
  • Pochart
    Pochart Posts: 14
    yep, me too, I love Garmin, had had two polars and were ok, but the Garmin is way better when it comes to training. I seriously recommend the Forerunner 310xt. As an option it has its own scale, it even measures visceral fat... metabolic rate, etc...
  • Shannonigans84
    Shannonigans84 Posts: 693 Member
    My burns are always high too, it makes me question it. The other day I walked 4 miles at a 4.0mph pace and I burned 596 cals. I hate not trusting this expensive piece of equipment! I always check and double check that I have it set up correctly.

    ETA: I have a Polar FT7.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    My trainer gave me three cardio programs to do, and all involve walking on inclines on a treadmill.

    The 29 and 35 minute ones I burn about 200-300 calories. The one that is 56 minutes long, I burn between 470-500.

    HRM's are going to be the most accurate during steady state cardio because thats what their equations use to figure out estimated calories burned. So I'd say if it's set up correctly, it will be pretty accurate during walking.
  • miss_p90x
    miss_p90x Posts: 97 Member
    Thank you guys for all responses!
  • seaKind
    seaKind Posts: 136
    do you wear this hrm strap all day, or just during exercise? I

    am interested in seeing how much i burn when i do say step or zumba or intervals group exercise class for an hour,
    but i also want a picture of how much i am burning throughout the day since i am a busy mommy who spends Most of every day carting around an infant, chasing a toddler, playing, washing, scrubbing, doing doing doing- I Never sit for more than 5 minutes... Surely there's a hefty calorie burn in that versus say a desk job???
  • jillica
    jillica Posts: 554 Member
    do you wear this hrm strap all day, or just during exercise? I

    am interested in seeing how much i burn when i do say step or zumba or intervals group exercise class for an hour,
    but i also want a picture of how much i am burning throughout the day since i am a busy mommy who spends Most of every day carting around an infant, chasing a toddler, playing, washing, scrubbing, doing doing doing- I Never sit for more than 5 minutes... Surely there's a hefty calorie burn in that versus say a desk job???
    I have an older Polar HRM and it doesn't register my calories burned unless I am over 100 bpm so I'm not sure if the newer models would measure how many calories spent throughout an entire day - but it would be interesting to know!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    HRM's are only designed for steady state cardio activity. They will not give you an accurate calorie burn if you wear them constantly.
  • madmickie
    madmickie Posts: 221 Member
    There are two thing the HRM needs to do .. measure your HR and estimate calories burned

    Measuring your HR - probably does this pretty well - senses the heart's electrical activity and time between and works out HR - simple enough

    Calculating calories burned - many factors, age, weight, ambient temp, fitness, form, HR - it will take what you tell it, do some math and spit out an answer - probably way off - but hopefully consistently way off!!
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