Heart rate monitors

Wonderob
Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been wondering.....

My HRM records my calories burned based on my heart rate going up - when I run or cycle or do weights, my heart rate rises according to my level of intensity. Therefore:
Heart rate increase = calorie burn increase

So my question is, when your heart rate rises because of other factors...
Fear
Excitement
SItting in a sauna
Being close to your loved one!!!
Nervousness
Public speaking
etc

I assume that my HRM would register this as exercise and show a pretty high calorie burn! Is this a true calorie burn? Can I really be burning extra calories whilst resting in a sauna with quite an elevated heart rate?

Replies

  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    3 possible reasons why this hasn't been answered yet

    1) Even with all the experts on here, nobody knows the answer!

    2) It's so obvious that nobody has bothered answering

    3) It's so boring that nobody can be bothered!
  • WEB3
    WEB3 Posts: 121 Member
    I don't have an answer for you because I wonder this too.

    I can't wrap my head around simply raising my heartrate and I burn more calories. It's just weird how our bodies process it all.

    Hope you get an answer!
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    No I simply refuse to believe that with all the knowledge on here - nobody knows the answer!
  • mhuch110
    mhuch110 Posts: 130 Member
    I'm not an expert but I always thought your HR had to reach a certain range to really burn a lot of calories. Your HR may be elevated during these events, but not to the point it rises to when you are exercising. So, yes, you will burn calories (since you always are, even when sleeping) but not very many.
  • bohonomad
    bohonomad Posts: 171 Member
    I'd say no, I had undiagnosed Tachycardia for at least a year with my resting heart rate around 130 and I was still overweight.
  • RJAgeo
    RJAgeo Posts: 16 Member
    I stopped factoring the calories burned as estimated from my hrm. Check with the experts, but I believe the calorie burn value estimated from heartrate is based on a statistical correlation. I do use the hrm to monitor and maintain my calculated target heartrate during cardio. But for me, I just make sure that I keep moving for 30-45 minutes; put the demand on your muscles, and your heart needs to supply more blood. I think that beyond the number of calories burned per session, it's routine exercise that improves your body's efficiency and metabolism. As long as I see improvement in the mirror from week to week, I know I'm doing something right. Now if you are training, this is not an optimized approach.
  • CLCinNOLA
    CLCinNOLA Posts: 82 Member
    From what I have read, heart rate is not a perfect indicator of calories expended. It is just something that is easy to measure, and that will give us some idea.

    I am on a beta blocker for my blood pressure, and it also slowed my heart rate. My doctor OK'd my workouts. I have no idea what happens to my heart rate when I exercise now, and won't know until I receive and start using the HRM that I recently ordered. I will take the calories shown with a little skepticism, but then I take the exercise calories suggested by MFP with some skepticism too.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    I stopped factoring the calories burned as estimated from my hrm. Check with the experts, but I believe the calorie burn value estimated from heartrate is based on a statistical correlation.

    Yeah I'd have to say this is the most likely explanation to me - thanks
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