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Accuracy of Polar FT7 calories burned?
People always say that the treadmills and calculations on MFP overestimate the number of calories burned, but my HRM is giving me close to double what those say. I do have a high resting HR (anywhere from 70's to 90's depending on the day), so I don't know if that could be throwing the numbers off. I have got similar results both times I used my HRM while doing C25k (plus a cool-down). Here's the stats it gives me on one:
Duration: 40 minutes
Calories: 489
Average HR: 178
Maximum HR: 200 (which is actually almost spot on with what formulas say is actually my maximum, so shouldn't I be having a heart attack or something if I work out at 100% my heart's limit?)
All my stats I entered when I set it up are correct. I wet the electrodes. My treadmill BPM reading is the same as the watch. I have taken my own pulse and it gives me the same number. Am I really burning that many calories since I'm so out of shape? Or is my high resting heart rate throwing off the calories burned?
Re: Accuracy of Polar FT7 calories burned?
I am curious, too. I have the FT4 and always get pretty high calorie burns according to it. Like you, I have a fairly high RHR and the Polar always says I'm over my zone when I'm really only at about 70%. I wonder if it thinks that we are over-working and therefore giving higher calorie burns?
I think there is a way to enter your own upper and lower HR zone limits instead of using the defaults (based on age). (When I use online calculations that consider RHR I find they are much for accurate.) Maybe you can try that and see if it changes the calorie burn.
Here are a few. I have no idea if they are legitimate or not.
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/hr_calculator_new.html
http://www.marathonguide.com/training/articles/HeartMonitorTraining.cfm
I think it's called the Karvonen method.
If you know your max HR I think that's even better.
Once you find a possible range, I think its helpful to compare it to how you are breathing. Can you talk? Are you ready to pass out? Are you unable to hold a conversation, but feel good? These are pretty good ways to determine if you're in the correct zone.