Calorie difference when using Garmin Connect and Strava

brazilianhipster

When I upload the same ride onto both Garmin Connect and Strava, the calories burnt varies considerably. As an example, on Strava it's saying 543 calories and on Garmin Connect it's quoting 1,373 calories. On both sites, including my device (Garmin 705) I have checked the rider and bike profiles i.e. made sure my weight is the same, the bikes weight is the same and that I am using the same units - which I am.

I am intrigued. Has anyone else experienced this difference?

napoleond

Garmins waaaaay overestimate calories used. I've had it say double the amount of actual work done (measured by power meter) before now...

slunker

I have the opposite problem, Garmin is way under compared to Strava.

term1te

slunker wrote:

I have the opposite problem, Garmin is way under compared to Strava.

Same for me, Garmin gives lower calorie guestimates, I can always have another cake after uploading the ride to Strava

Mikey23

they both seem to be rather pointless guesstimates imo. i still cant quite see the point ...

philbar72

500 cals per hour if doing 3 cat 4 hills at my usual snails pace.... thats all that matters!

alihisgreat

Here is a summary of how various Garmin devices can calculate calories - http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/11/how-calorie-measurement-works-on-garmin.html

Strava does it through their power calculations... so In theory Garmin's data should be more accurate and precise.

thegreatdivide

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

Here is a summary of how various Garmin devices can calculate calories - http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/11/how-calorie-measurement-works-on-garmin.html

Strava does it through their power calculations... so In theory Garmin's data should be more accurate and precise.

Cheers for the link.

Running Strava on a smart phone in your jersey pocket isn’t the most accurate when it comes to calories ;-)

philbar72

i noticed that, it gets power figures skewed and also therefore the calorie counts dependant on position (with me its either on the bars or in the jersey pocket..... depends on quite a few factors which either can't really compute.

thegreatdivide

philbar72 wrote:

i noticed that, it gets power figures skewed and also therefore the calorie counts dependant on position (with me its either on the bars or in the jersey pocket..... depends on quite a few factors which either can't really compute.

^ And strong tailwinds mean you’re putting out an average 500+ Watts over many miles. Strava is very much LOL.

doug5_10

thegreatdivide wrote:

philbar72 wrote:

i noticed that, it gets power figures skewed and also therefore the calorie counts dependant on position (with me its either on the bars or in the jersey pocket..... depends on quite a few factors which either can't really compute.

^ And strong tailwinds mean you’re putting out an average 500+ Watts over many miles. Strava is very much LOL.

I would agree, surely Strava cannot account for coasting in a tailwind or more likely mashing into a headwind, as I have been doing on my last couple of rides. My Polar count was considerably higher than Strava both times.