Garmin calorie calculator

[hagar]

I was just wondering how accurate is the calculator that garmin use to count the amount of calories consumed on a ride !!

 

a little while ago there was a thread i think where there was someone saying that it was not quite up to scratch and that the polar was far more accurate !!!

 

have garmin upgraded their software or is it still unreliable ???  i need to know so that i can work out how many bottles of wine to consume to replace my "lost calories "

[stewie911]

You sound like my dad.

When he still rode I had to work out each time how many beers he could drink to even it out.

 

Garmin is optimistic still as far as I know. Polar use very reliable info.

 

Get someone with about the same hr max and age as you and compare one of your rides(same hr avg and time) with theirs to get an idea, or easier, borrow a polar from someone and compare the two.

[fandacious]

they use completely different calculations. garmin measures calories used to complete a distance, and polar measure calories burnt by mearusing HR

 

 

 

thats why if you drive @ 100km/h for an hour with your garmin it will show some large number of calories burnt, even tho you hardly burnt any

[hagar]

thanks  i have a polar maybe i should wear the two together on a ride then compare them ??? ok ok now what about the xtra weight that i must carry

 

no serious i think i will give it a bash but was hoping to get some answers from garmin as they are in the pro circuit so they should have pro equipment to supply their riders !!!!

[hagar]

they use completely different calculations. garmin measures calories used to complete a distance' date=' and polar measure calories burnt by mearusing HR

thats why if you drive @ 100km/h for an hour with your garmin it will show some large number of calories burnt, even tho you hardly burnt any[/quote']

strange thing cos garmin also records HR so if it more accurate why dont they also use it ???? they have the gradient the riders weight age and all that other nice stuff ??? the info that sports tracks have how accurate is that Fand ???do they just take it out of the garmin or do they calculate it ???

[stewie911]

I think it is because garmin is gps focused(speed, distance etc.), while polar initially is hr focused.

 

Try the two and give us some feedback. Would be interesting.

[fandacious]

they use completely different calculations. garmin measures calories used to complete a distance' date=' and polar measure calories burnt by mearusing HR thats why if you drive @ 100km/h for an hour with your garmin it will show some large number of calories burnt, even tho you hardly burnt any[/quote']

 

 

strange thing cos garmin also records HR so if it more accurate why dont they also use it ???? they have the gradient the riders weight age and all that other nice stuff ??? the info that sports tracks have how accurate is that Fand ???do they just take it out of the garmin or do they calculate it ???

 

 

 

ja - sportstracks can actually recalculate heartrate. it would be interesting to compare all 3

 

 

 

garmin

 

polar

 

sportstracks

[hagar]

ok i will do that today i am going to spin session then road ride so i will come back with the stats tomorrow !!!!

[Marius]

Don't forget to subtract the calories your body would have burned on it's own as well from the exercise you just did for a even more accurate reading. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) represents

the number of calories you would burn if you rested for 24 hours.

Its the number of calories your lungs needs to breathe, your heart

to beat, your brain, liver and organs to function.

 

http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/Weight_Centre/15-51-92.asp

 

[hagar]

ha thanks Maruis !!! makes sense if you really want to get accurate

[Gumpole]

Garmin isn't very accurate, as it discounts factors like wind, roadsurface and only takes speed and climbing into account (as far as I know)

[hagar]

would polar take the wind and road surface into account ??? neway i am going to check today what the diffrence is with the polar and the garmin going to try and wear both

[stewie911]

In a way, cause you work harder = higher hr

[ngala24]

 

Well i ride with a Forerunner 305 with heart rate monitor

 

On friday i did the reserve short loop from circus side entrance, was 44 K's odd and i burnt 2400 odd calories

Sat i did a flat 58K's and only burnt 1300 odd calories so it must be taking heart into account

 

Ok i see where you coming from now that i have read up a little on it

 

ngala242010-01-20 02:40:44

[Gumpole]

 

would polar take the wind and road surface into account ??? neway i am going to check today what the diffrence is with the polar and the garmin going to try and wear both

 

With Polar it doesn't matter as it is measuring how hard you are working and nothing else - so it will work on the road, MTB, running, climbing or sitting at your desk!

 

[SeaBee]

Used to be way out. I ride with both... and the Edge was laughably off. Since the 2.9 upgrade mine was better. On 3.1 now and still very close to Polar readings.

 

The fact that they found a way to... how shall I say it... without ... stuff up of all things their elevation on 3.1 is beyond nme (but also OT!)

 

Haven't compared to SportsTracks, though, will see when I get home. If I remember...