Skip to content
  • Register
    • We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

    Setup Polar HRM for more accurate calorie burn for known BMR

    1…910121415…18

    Replies

    • Posts: 811 Member
      bump
    • Posts: 186 Member
      So my new question is about max heart rate... Why does it matter what my HRM has as my max? And how do I figure out what to change it to if I am supposed to? I think it is set on 200. (whatever it came on or went to based off my info). Thanks!
    • Posts: 74 Member
      Bump for checking later.
    • Posts: 18,842 Member
      So my new question is about max heart rate... Why does it matter what my HRM has as my max? And how do I figure out what to change it to if I am supposed to? I think it is set on 200. (whatever it came on or went to based off my info). Thanks!

      That's actually the bigger factor for calorie burn, but a bit more involved.
      Why it matters?

      If it's set to 200, and you work out at avg HR 160 for 60 min, the HRM is going to think that wasn't much of a workout, pretty decent for you, middle calorie burn. 80% of max.

      But if your real max HR is 175, that actually was an pretty intense workout, 91% of max. Lot of calories burned.

      So the simple estimate test is at the bottom of the OP.
      Of course, if you've ever seen higher than that number recorded as peak HR on your stats after a hard workout, add 5 bpm until such time as you beat it again.
    • Posts: 235 Member
      Bump for later when not so sleepy.
    • Posts: 965 Member
      Went to bed at 41yrs of age..... woke up at 70yrs old..... gotta love it !! :noway:
    • Posts: 248 Member
      Bump to read later
    • Posts: 91 Member
      bump:love:
    • Posts: 241 Member
      bump for reading later!
    • Posts: 12
      bump to read later!
    • Posts: 12
      Ok, I just want to make sure I understand this. I have a Polar FT60 that I want to put the new information in. I'm currently 37 Before BMR: 1470, After BMR: 1531, New age: 24. I'm planning on doing the Step Test when I get home. So I would just plug the new age, the MHR from the step test and the VO2max into the HRM??? Also, to calculate the VO2max I just use the MHR from the step test with the calculations on the link for the VO2max? I appreciate you putting the link to this topic on my op. I was wondering why I wasn't losing any weight. This information is priceless!!
    • Posts: 18,842 Member
      Ok, I just want to make sure I understand this. I have a Polar FT60 that I want to put the new information in. I'm currently 37 Before BMR: 1470, After BMR: 1531, New age: 24. I'm planning on doing the Step Test when I get home. So I would just plug the new age, the MHR from the step test and the VO2max into the HRM??? Also, to calculate the VO2max I just use the MHR from the step test with the calculations on the link for the VO2max? I appreciate you putting the link to this topic on my op. I was wondering why I wasn't losing any weight. This information is priceless!!

      You got the right idea.
      Still do the step one for estimating max HR. And if you've ever seen a workout with peak higher than that, add 5 to your peak for better max HR estimate.

      And since you have a HRM where you can change the VO2max to better estimate, I found a more accurate method for that VO2max test. Well, not the true max test, but the submaximal max test.

      So more accurate VO2max estimate. Since you got calculator out.
      http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/577839-hrm-s-with-vo2max-stat-improve-calorie-estimate&nbsp
    • Posts: 112
      bump
    • Posts: 12
      Cool! thanks so much for responding back!!
    • Posts: 429 Member
      bump
    • Posts: 263 Member
      Bump
    • Posts: 205 Member
      bump
    • Posts: 28
      thanks.
    • Posts: 44 Member
      bump
    • Posts: 802 Member
      Huh? Will read again later and maybe then it will not give me a headache. I am sure there is good information here.
    • Posts: 124
      Saving this for when my HRM arrives!
    • Posts: 27 Member
      bump for later...getting one soon! :)
    • Posts: 90 Member
      Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
    • Posts: 81 Member
      Thanks for the info. I will try making these adjustments and see how this affects my weight loss. I only have another 7 lbs to go to my goal weight. Will try for 2 weeks and see what the difference is. Thanks again!
    • Posts: 18,842 Member
      Thanks for the info. I will try making these adjustments and see how this affects my weight loss. I only have another 7 lbs to go to my goal weight. Will try for 2 weeks and see what the difference is. Thanks again!

      many seem to miss the 2nd more important half to that post - maxHR influences calorie burn estimate even more.
    • Posts: 6
      i need help people i got a ft4 yesterday an i did 1hr on treadmill incline of 4-10 an speed of 3 it said 407 cals burned?? my timex would have said 700-900 burned that is a huge diff what should i do??? Help
    • Posts: 18,842 Member
      i need help people i got a ft4 yesterday an i did 1hr on treadmill incline of 4-10 an speed of 3 it said 407 cals burned?? my timex would have said 700-900 burned that is a huge diff what should i do??? Help

      What was your avg HR today compared to other days. If same speed and incline, you would expect to get better at it, meaning lower HR, meaning less effort, meaning less calorie burn.

      If your Timex is like mine, it asked for age, weight, maxHR. No gender, and that's a pretty big difference. And I think maxHR is only used to set the zones, not used calorie count.

      Polar gets more info and uses it. Hence the reason I switched awhile back.

      Now, it can still be off, because it is still guessing at maxHR, which is pretty important stat for better estimates of calorie burn.

      http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/466973-i-want-to-test-for-my-max-heart-rate-vo2-max
    • Posts: 429 Member
      woah! Hit a new Maximum heart rate this weekend. Was 193 but I got a 219! I was exercising in my living room and it was a hotter day than we typically get here in the UK. It was only a 23 minute session to one of The Firm's DVDs although it was hard work with some plyometrics which always make my heart pound in my head :laugh:

      I'm 43, so I'm quite surprised it could get that high!
      Now, do I reset my max HR to 224 on my Polar, or do you think 219 could be a fluke?
    • Posts: 18,842 Member
      woah! Hit a new Maximum heart rate this weekend. Was 193 but I got a 219! I was exercising in my living room and it was a hotter day than we typically get here in the UK. It was only a 23 minute session to one of The Firm's DVDs although it was hard work with some plyometrics which always make my heart pound in my head :laugh:

      I'm 43, so I'm quite surprised it could get that high!
      Now, do I reset my max HR to 224 on my Polar, or do you think 219 could be a fluke?

      If that's what the HRM read as peak in the post-workout stats, I'd say fluke.
      If you saw it go up to that and hit that and slowly come back down, I'd trust it.

      Ah, the Firm, I remember my mom getting those 25 yrs ago, pretty intense at that time and I'd rather have done jogging or weights for something easier.
    • Posts: 63 Member
      Interesting ...bump
    This discussion has been closed.

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register

    Quick Links

    Categories