accuracy of HRM??

timeforchange
timeforchange Posts: 85
edited September 20 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys!
Does anyone use a Polar F4 HRM? If so, do you find it accurate?
The reason I am asking is because I just tested mine out and after my two hour moderately-paced walk it said I burned 935 KCal. That sounds a little high for a walk!! What do you guys think? I know it depends on my heart rate and weight.. and I was maintaining an HR b/w 130-165 the whole time and weigh 190lbs.
Let me know if anyone thinks this could be right or waaaaay off.
Thanks!
Lindsey

Replies

  • debb1985
    debb1985 Posts: 19
    I have an F4 and during a 30 min walk/run session (I run for at least 10 mins of it and walk at 3.5 mph for the rest) I can burn between 190-230 calories. I am 141 lbs. The calorie counts are what I get when I subtract the amount I would burn normally from what my HRM says. If your HRM is accurate you should still subtract 2 hrs. of normal activity calories (which mine is around 1.5-2 calories/ minute)....so you should subtract around 180-240 calories from what your HRM says.
  • tabstattooed
    tabstattooed Posts: 143
    did you set up the watch? I have an f11 and it seems accurate. Does yours have a chest strap? Did you clear out any previous calorie entries prior to the walk?
    walking should only burn about 300-400 unless your power walking I would think.

    http://www.myfit.ca/calories_burned_chart_calculator.asp

    check out this link.
  • Changeisgonnacome
    Changeisgonnacome Posts: 1,445
    When I first started using my HRM my 1 1/2 hour walk would burn me over 700cals. It has now come down to under 600. I'm walking hills and at a pretty fast pace and am lighter and older than you so I think that might very well be a true cal burn. Especially if you've set it up and all....

    Good luck,
  • tabstattooed
    tabstattooed Posts: 143
    does the watch give you the option of cals or Kcals? Because Kcal= kilocalories, and that is a term used to identify 1000 calories. I should know this as I just read it in my classes but,.....I have memory issues this week....

    what I found on Wikipedia............

    Kilogram and gram calories
    The original definition by Clément was based on the kilogram. Other definitions based on the gram have since been made. We thus have the two major variants: the kilogram calorie and the gram calorie. One thousand gram calories equal one kilogram calorie.

    In the context of food energy the term calorie generally refers to the kilogram calorie. However, the term kilocalorie (kcal), referring to one thousand gram calories, is also in widespread use especially by professional nutritionists (when speaking in terms of calories rather than joules). To avoid confusion, the prefix kilo- is not used with the kilogram calorie.

    Kilogram calorie
    The kilogram calorie, large calorie, food calorie, Calorie (capital C) or just calorie (lowercase c) is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius.
    Gram calorie
    The gram calorie, small calorie or calorie (cal) is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by 1 °C. The gram calorie was once commonly used in chemistry and physics.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    does the watch give you the option of cals or Kcals? Because Kcal= kilocalories, and that is a term used to identify 1000 calories. I should know this as I just read it in my classes but,.....I have memory issues this week....

    what I found on Wikipedia............

    Kilogram and gram calories
    The original definition by Clément was based on the kilogram. Other definitions based on the gram have since been made. We thus have the two major variants: the kilogram calorie and the gram calorie. One thousand gram calories equal one kilogram calorie.

    In the context of food energy the term calorie generally refers to the kilogram calorie. However, the term kilocalorie (kcal), referring to one thousand gram calories, is also in widespread use especially by professional nutritionists (when speaking in terms of calories rather than joules). To avoid confusion, the prefix kilo- is not used with the kilogram calorie.

    Kilogram calorie
    The kilogram calorie, large calorie, food calorie, Calorie (capital C) or just calorie (lowercase c) is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius.
    Gram calorie
    The gram calorie, small calorie or calorie (cal) is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by 1 °C. The gram calorie was once commonly used in chemistry and physics.

    What you are referring to is a "scientific" or academic distiniction. In common usage "calorie" is used in place of "kilocalories"--there is no difference.
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
    Hi guys!
    Does anyone use a Polar F4 HRM? If so, do you find it accurate?
    The reason I am asking is because I just tested mine out and after my two hour moderately-paced walk it said I burned 935 KCal. That sounds a little high for a walk!! What do you guys think? I know it depends on my heart rate and weight.. and I was maintaining an HR b/w 130-165 the whole time and weigh 190lbs.
    Let me know if anyone thinks this could be right or waaaaay off.
    Thanks!
    Lindsey

    I also have a Polar F4 - Yep, that sounds about right. That was a 2 hour walk. -
    I've done the same, and I burned 800+ cals in 2 hour walk.

    Make sure in the setup you check that your resting heart rate is not "too low", this could skew the #'s a bit.
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
    walking should only burn about 300-400 unless your power walking I would think.
    300-400 for what length of time? :laugh: 300-400 / hour I'm sure.

    So she did 2 hours, and her heart rate was up to 160's.
    Easily attainable for someone to get over 800-900 cals burned in 2 hours.
  • timeforchange
    timeforchange Posts: 85
    thanks for you help everyone!
    Yes I set up my watch properly.. and I don't think there is a difference between Cal and KCal...
    I did the walk again today.. heart rate stayed in the same range and i still burned just over 900 KCal... so I'm going to assume it is accurate.
    Thanks,
    Lindsey
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