Calories Burnt During Exercise

Jahmoo

Hi Guys,

I have been using Endomondo for over a year now and it being a live tracker, I kinda trust it on distance. But when it comes to calories burnt during exercise, not completey trusted.

This has hit home this morning, I did a 17ml ride with a Heart Rate Monitor for the first time and instead of the normal 1400 calories burnt, after I input the Average and Max Heart rate, Calorie burnt changed to just over 400 cals, which shocked me.

My Polar CS100 was a mile out on distance, so will have to check my wheel size, as noticed somewhere that its incorrect, but the Calorie Burnt on my monitor was 1008.......

To top it off, I input my ride on BikeRadar and guess what, 1700 calories.......... :?:

Confused is not the word :!:

I am new to HRM use and am not a Rocket Scientist, so calculating my own Cals burnt is not going to happen, but can someone give me a clue which one is correct

Cheers

Jahmoo

ric/rstsport

there are only two ways to calculate calories (energy) expended. These are via a *proper* power meter (whereby you can multiply average power by time to arrive at mechanical energy expended and then relatively accurately estimate efficiency to arrive at energy expended) or by measuring expired respiratory gases (usually in a sport science lab).

You cannot accurately estimate energy expenditure with a heart rate monitor (no matter what the advertising blurb may or may not say).

No one can say which, if any of these data are correct, although it's highly likely that none of them are.

how long did it take you to ride the 17 miles?

ric

amaferanga

Somewhere between 600 and 900 probably.

danowat

700kj an hour at top end endurance pace is a decent ballpark figure.

ric/rstsport

but extremely dependent on how fit you are!!!! e.g. i coach people and endurance expenditure can vary from say 400 kj/hr in someone who is very small through to 1200 kj who is elite

danowat

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

but extremely dependent on how fit you are!!!! e.g. i coach people and endurance expenditure can vary from say 400 kj/hr in someone who is very small through to 1200 kj who is elite

But as an average ballpark, 700 isn't far off, it's certainly more of a ballpark than the massively inflated figures some websites and devices give you.

ric/rstsport

for sure.

Gabbo

I know previously I have had a discussion about muscular strength etc. Well, can that be effected if not enough calories have been consumed? I'm trying to lose weight, and have been training about 4-5 times per week for 1-3hrs per session. I've noticed that my legs look smaller. Whether it is psychological or not is beyond me, but I am wondering whether I am getting an adequate amount of protein. Not sure how much is necessary for someone at 84kg and 6'1, but my legs look like they have got skinner over night! :roll:

ric/rstsport

having no idea how hard and long you train, means that it's somewhat difficult to estimate how much your protein requirements are. But

1) the upper limit that is suggested for people riding events such as the Tour de France, which has the highest protein requirements in sport is about 2 g of protein per kg of body mass (i.e. 168 g for you)
2) most people who train around 15 hrs/week probably need no more than 1.5 g per kg body mass (126 g for you)
3) most people in the western world who eat a normal or relatively normal diet are likely to exceed these requirements
4) most people increase their protein intake in a step wise relationship to their actual energy expenditure
5) so if you're maintaining weight or gradually losing it you're likely to be eating sufficient
6) even vegetarians can consume these amounts of protein (i know, because i am one)
7) vegans may have to carefully think about things at the upper limits
8 ) non normal diets could be something like a fruitarian or someone who just eats say energy drinks

your legs could look smaller for a variety of reasons (e.g. glycogen depletion, water loss, etc)

imposter2.0

if you are losing weight, you could well have 'skinnier' legs, as well as skinnier arms, face, torso, etc. The question to ask is are you getting quicker?

chrisaonabike

danowat wrote:

700kj an hour at top end endurance pace is a decent ballpark figure.

Are you talking output or burned?

danowat

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

danowat wrote:

700kj an hour at top end endurance pace is a decent ballpark figure.

Are you talking output or burned?

Energy expenditure, so 700kj would still roughly equate to a 700kcal burn (although it's not a perfect 1:1 ratio, it's close)

chrisaonabike

danowat wrote:

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

danowat wrote:

700kj an hour at top end endurance pace is a decent ballpark figure.

Are you talking output or burned?

Energy expenditure, so 700kj would still roughly equate to a 700kcal burn (although it's not a perfect 1:1 ratio, it's close)

Ok. I think 'expenditure' is still ambiguous (without the context, I'd take 'expenditure' to mean 'expended by the body').

But I get what you mean - 700kJ per hour output at the pedal is 700 x 0.239 = 167 kCal per hour, at the pedal. And since the body is about the same percentage efficient, that's about 700 kCal per hour burned.

Handy rule of thumb.

Jahmoo

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

how long did it take you to ride the 17 miles?

ric

The Work out took 1hr 20 mins. Reason for getting the heart rate monitor was to calculate workout Zones, as trying to lose weight. Todays ride was in Fat Burning zone, did not have time to ride further due to work.

imposter2.0

Jahmoo wrote:

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

how long did it take you to ride the 17 miles?

ric

The Work out took 1hr 20 mins. Reason for getting the heart rate monitor was to calculate workout Zones, as trying to lose weight. Todays ride was in Fat Burning zone, did not have time to ride further due to work.

ok - there isn't really a 'fat burning' zone - that's another HR myth which is even more worthless that the calorie calculations...

jgsi

I'd say carry on a daily ride of that scale and just make sure you ride with a feeling' of genuine effort but not too much and conversely not taking it easy either.
Watch what you eat .. count what you eat - don't use the annoying excuse that I have exercised therefore I must have extra to compensate or I will fall over and pass out.
You will lose weight.
As you have been at it for a year... whats the trouble anyway to ask on here.. not losing weight? or it is taking too long a time?

ric/rstsport

Jahmoo wrote:

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

how long did it take you to ride the 17 miles?

ric

The Work out took 1hr 20 mins. Reason for getting the heart rate monitor was to calculate workout Zones, as trying to lose weight. Todays ride was in Fat Burning zone, did not have time to ride further due to work.

i probably average say 28 to 30 km/hr (17.5 to 18.75 mph) and expend about 630 kJ per hour of mechanical energy (so, also, about 630 Kcal). Your ride averages 13.1 mph and you weigh about 14 kg more than me (so you'll likely be less aerodynamic and also need to expend more energy uphill than me) but your velocity is much lower than me. so, at a guesstimate i'd probably suggest you're expending around 400 Kcal/per. Maybe 500. it'll depend on the terrain you ride on, and what your set up is like.

Gabbo

JGSI wrote:

I'd say carry on a daily ride of that scale and just make sure you ride with a feeling' of genuine effort but not too much and conversely not taking it easy either.
Watch what you eat .. count what you eat - don't use the annoying excuse that I have exercised therefore I must have extra to compensate or I will fall over and pass out.
You will lose weight.
As you have been at it for a year... whats the trouble anyway to ask on here.. not losing weight? or it is taking too long a time?

So what about you?

What difference in performance have you seen since you lost such a significant amount of weight?

jgsi

Gabbo wrote:

JGSI wrote:

I'd say carry on a daily ride of that scale and just make sure you ride with a feeling' of genuine effort but not too much and conversely not taking it easy either.
Watch what you eat .. count what you eat - don't use the annoying excuse that I have exercised therefore I must have extra to compensate or I will fall over and pass out.
You will lose weight.
As you have been at it for a year... whats the trouble anyway to ask on here.. not losing weight? or it is taking too long a time?

So what about you?

What difference in performance have you seen since you lost such a significant amount of weight?

ah yes . moi.. well apart from punctures, reliability rides all ok.. I am not missing down on power or stamina but keeping a strictish diet even with MyFitnessPall is .. well time consuming.. but keeping within 165 and 169 lbs.
Changing the bb30 bearings is a more pressing issue (bad pun intended) as messed it up on one side and has cost me another 20 quid to sort. Turning the cranks at the moment is showing 200 watts but I am probably having to produce 260! Will have new bearing in tomorrow otherwise I'll have to be without bike if I need to take it to the shop and wait a week.

Jahmoo

Appreciate the feedback, although be it all a mythe

I am Diabetic, so I need to ride clever, but I am riding further, with a 26ml ride last Friday, hoping to get the same or a bit more in this weekend, its been difficult due to work commitments and weather/darkness, excuses, but Mrs Jahmoo is happier if I do not go out in the dark.

I will carry on what I am doing and see the results, I have started losing weight, 5lbs in the last 2 weeks, so hope to carry this on and lose more with longer rides and try to get some consistancy going, well as the daylight gets longer I hope to get out 4-5 times a week instead of 3-4 times a week.

Thanks for killing all my mythes, but even the coach's on here talk about Heart Rate Zones, so confusing to say the least, as for the calories, well I still keep to my 1800 cals a day when can, only go over by 1-200 when I do, usually on exercise day, so no worries.

I will just keep an eye on one thing, ride further and hope the numbers on the scales go backwards

Jah....

imposter2.0

Jahmoo wrote:

Thanks for killing all my mythes, but even the coach's on here talk about Heart Rate Zones, so confusing to say the least,

not that confusing really - heart rate zones are real, while fat burning zones are not. :?

danowat

Jahmoo wrote:

I am Diabetic

So am I