how can you tell how many calories you burn?

[armadon]

I use the elyptical machine for my cardio since it's easy on the knees. How can I tell how much i burn or how accurat is the machine? It says I burn about 850 calories. I do it for 45 minutes at level 12 and go at a constant 65-68 speed.

 

[Omen]

I use the elyptical machine for my cardio since it's easy on the knees. How can I tell how much i burn or how accurat is the machine? It says I burn about 850 calories. I do it for 45 minutes at level 12 and go at a constant 65-68 speed.

There are formulas out there about METS, grades, speed, watts, KG, and all that, and its quite a post and I dont really think its necessary to post because even professionals like myself rarely equate all that unless it was for a class or test.

I can say though that your 850 is high and more than likely wrong.

Some rough calc would be for instance... If a 140lb person walks at 6mph (zero grade) would be about 5kcal per liter of O2 or 125kcal to run 1 mile

You also have to take into consideration V02 and what % are you working at of your THR? 60%? 80%

140lbs running 3 miles in 24min burns about 357kcal

So you can see you'd have to run 6 miles in 48min to burn 700cal and that is more than what you are cycling.

All I can say if that if you want to get precise, you're going to have to use a formula.

 

[armadon]

ok, thanks. appreciate the response. didn't know it was that complicated.

 

[Omen]

ok, thanks. appreciate the response. didn't know it was that complicated.

There are just many things to take into consideration. Is it walking, jogging, running, what speed, how long, is there a grade (as in 3% 5%) running up stairs, how about a mountain? How old are you, what % are you running at, or doing your activity?

This is why its hard, but search around online and you can find some decent calculators that at least give some kind of starting point.

Type in your age and weight and activity and it will guess for you based off of what ever equation was entered into that program.

 

[armadon]

I'm guessing the machine would be close enough in giving an estimate if it asks you to put in age and weight? The one I use just asks for weight so I guess I just need to figure out how to add that into the mix. thanks Omen for the responses.

 

[Omen]

Your welcome. Use it as an estimate, and i'd make a margin of error minus a few % on all of those machines. I've seen some that claim some outlandish stuff and wouldn't believe it if I could toss it.