How accurate are calorie counters on excercize machines?

[odawg315]

Exactly what the title says. I read somewhere that they are based on what a 180lb male would burn at whatever given rate and resistance the machines are set at.

my cardio 4 days a week consists of 35 minutes per day on an eliptical and it tells me im burning 1000calories at the max resistance, it is a rough cardio session and when i jog 3 miles at a 3.5% incline at 5.2 mph (35min) it tells me i burnt 540cal. anyone know how accurate this is?

[jdmalm123]

Originally Posted by odawg315

Exactly what the title says. I read somewhere that they are based on what a 180lb male would burn at whatever given rate and resistance the machines are set at.

my cardio 4 days a week consists of 35 minutes per day on an eliptical and it tells me im burning 1000calories at the max resistance, it is a rough cardio session and when i jog 3 miles at a 3.5% incline at 5.2 mph (35min) it tells me i burnt 540cal. anyone know how accurate this is?

They are terrible and can have an error ratio of up to 50%!

Get a good coded HR monitor (that prevents interference) like a Polar F6 or higher.

[spider28]

they r about as acurate as stevie wonder throwing darts