HRM, elliptical readout or split the difference?

Jfearn64
Jfearn64 Posts: 353 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just bought a new Polar HRM and a new Proform 18.0RE elliptical and have started to workout using both. I know machines tend to overestimate calories burned, that is why I bought a HRM. Problem is, I just did a 50 minute workout at a pretty good intensity and the Elliptical estimated 630 calories burned. The HRM calculated 355 using my heart rate (which tends to be very low by the way with a resting HR near 50 bpm).

Question is, should I use the HRM or split the difference? How does the HRM calculate the calories burned? Could my naturally low resting heart rate be causing the HRM to calculate calories burned on the low side?

I knew there would be a difference, just didn't realize it would be 40-50% different.

Replies

  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
    I would use the HRM but which ever you decide to use, commit and just use it, don't go back and forth. In a month or 2 you should be able to tell if you made the right choice. Good Luck.
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 412 Member
    I have been fiddling with the exercise bike resistance and the treadmill gradient while wearing the HRM. The displays on the bike and the treadmill don't change for time, but the HRM seems to vary about the same as my body feels.

    I just go with the HRM.
  • bjfrezell
    bjfrezell Posts: 241
    I always go with my HRM.
  • Jfearn64
    Jfearn64 Posts: 353 Member
    Anyone know how the HRM works to calculate calories burned?
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 412 Member
    I don't know if the HRM are the same but this web site shows an example of how to do it, with formulas

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx
  • Jfearn64
    Jfearn64 Posts: 353 Member
    I used two or three calculators online utilizing the data my Polar HRM determined for average heart rate and the calculations were higher as well. Calculations yeilded 428 calories for my 51 minutes on the elliptical. 355 calculated by Polar HRM and 630 calories by the elliptical. Kind of confused now.
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 412 Member
    I think the polar calculates by the time at specific heart rates where as the online ones just do an average, for example when I warm up/down I am burning about 10-12 calories a minute, when running its much higher so the average doesn't work right.
  • tigerlily8045
    tigerlily8045 Posts: 402 Member
    Are you consistantly getting lower results? I found that a couple of times that I didn't have the chest strap wetted down enough and another time it wasn't centered right so I got a WAAAY lower rate for excercise that I had consistantly done.
  • solarfish
    solarfish Posts: 50 Member
    I have just started using the Polar FT60 and noticed that it was giving a much lower value of calories burned than other sites were when I entered my average heart rate, weight,exercise time etc. I then calculated my VO2 Max (using the resting heart rate approach) and found that the default setting of 35 ml/kg/min in the FT60 was significantly different to my value of 25 ml/kg/min. Once I had adjusted the setting in the FT60 (which to be fair I had been told to do in the instructions but had ignored ;-) ) then the HRM and sites gave very similar values. These values are still less than the elliptical is giving, but I am now confident they are correct and will use the HRM value from now onwards.

    Incidentally, this has been one of the biggest surprises of my 2 month focus on fitness, I have lost 30lbs which I am pleased about but far better is that my resting heart rate has dropped from 80 bpm to 60bpm!
  • Jfearn64
    Jfearn64 Posts: 353 Member
    I have the polar FT7. That does not appear to be adjustable in my model.

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