Polar Heart Rate Monitor Question

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goochinator
goochinator Posts: 383 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I noticed that on my Polar F6, it told me I burned 495 calories and then said 40% fat.

What does the "40% fat' mean exactly?

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  • goochinator
    goochinator Posts: 383 Member
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    I noticed that on my Polar F6, it told me I burned 495 calories and then said 40% fat.

    What does the "40% fat' mean exactly?
  • jtintx
    jtintx Posts: 445 Member
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    It means that 40% of the calories you burned were from stored fat.
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    That is the fat percentage of the burned calories. In other words 40% of the calories you burned were fat.
  • MTGirl
    MTGirl Posts: 1,490 Member
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    It means that 40% of the calories you burned were from stored fat.

    How does it know that? Just curiousity - I would like to get a HRM and am wanting to know all about them right now :happy:
  • aprilvet
    aprilvet Posts: 724 Member
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    That means that you were in your "fat burning" zone for 40% of your workout. This is a lower heart rate than a cardio rate. You will see more results if you increase the amount of time spent in the cardio zone. You burn fat at higher heart rates, too:happy: and get more cardiovascular benefits.
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    It means that 40% of the calories you burned were from stored fat.

    How does it know that? Just curiousity - I would like to get a HRM and am wanting to know all about them right now :happy:

    It asks you your weight, age, height, the name of your first born child (kidding on that) and takes all that info. Your heart rate should be at a certain place depending on all of this information. Through the marvels of technology (thank goodness for those) it can tell you this info. Great huh? I just got mine on Sunday and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I keep looking at the watch upping my calories burned to "just 50 more, just 50 more". Motivates me to work harder.
  • goochinator
    goochinator Posts: 383 Member
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    That means that you were in your "fat burning" zone for 40% of your workout. This is a lower heart rate than a cardio rate. You will see more results if you increase the amount of time spent in the cardio zone. You burn fat at higher heart rates, too:happy: and get more cardiovascular benefits.

    This is what confuses me- When I do more 'muscle' work like Pilates, weights combined with cardio then I see a higher percentage.
    On the days when I do only cardio, the percentage is lower. And by cardio I butn AT LEAST 10 calories per minute- working at least 85% of my heart rate.
  • goochinator
    goochinator Posts: 383 Member
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    That means that you were in your "fat burning" zone for 40% of your workout. This is a lower heart rate than a cardio rate. You will see more results if you increase the amount of time spent in the cardio zone. You burn fat at higher heart rates, too:happy: and get more cardiovascular benefits.

    This is what confuses me- When I do more 'muscle' work like Pilates, weights combined with cardio then I see a higher percentage.
    On the days when I do only cardio, the percentage is lower. And by cardio I butn AT LEAST 10 calories per minute- working at least 85% of my heart rate.
  • FletcherChic
    FletcherChic Posts: 158
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    the higher your heart rate (ie: cardio classes, running, etc) then the smaller number you will see of % fat burned - that is because your heart was beating at a higher rate and you spent less time in your fat burning zone (and more time in your "emergency" stores aka glycogen which is stored in the liver - it's kind of like your easy access spare can of gas - it's what your body immediately goes too if you're in a high zone)...in these high HR classes, however, you will burn more calories....
    in pilates (or yoga, or stretching, or weight training classes) you will burn fat at a higher rate because your HR is beating more slowly and it's easy for your body to use fat for energy when you're in a lower HR zone - the downside of that is that you will burn less cals....so you either burn more cals at a smaller fat percentage, or you burn less cals with a higher fat percentage...i think it's best to mix it up! i spent a year working out like a freak - to the point of puking and finally a trainer pointed out that it's better to "work smarter, not harder!"...now i try to always train in my fat burning zone because fat utilization is more important to me than cals burned ...now if i've gone cuckoo on calories and i have a lot to burn - then i'll do a fast paced class to make up for those extra cals consumed. i hope this makes sense! :)
  • allie5199
    allie5199 Posts: 240
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    I just bought one today! Im interested to see how much the elliptical is off at the gym lol

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