Calorie calculator

[PurpleMoonlight]

Is this accurate?

http://www.bicycling.com/caloriemain

It's claiming I burn approx 1000 calories per hour!

Can't believe that.

[garrykiller]

I find that very hard to believe. Mine came out at 1146 for 1 hour. That's massive amounts of calorie burn.

[Gizmoish]

Nah, ridiculous.

On a hill you'd be able to work it out: weight kg x vertical ascent metres = work done in joules, convert, bosh.

[Disco You]

Nope, they're all junk.

[okgo]

1k calories is around 300w for an hour, not impossible by any stretch but you'd be quite a handy rider

I went for a pretty hard ride yesterday and burned 1600kcal in 90 mins - average of 300w - the only way to truly have an accurate idea with with a power meter which tells you how much work you've done in joules.

[E38]

That site is no more or less accurate than a power meter, calories burnt is completely dependant upon genetics, height, weight, age, sex, nutrition, stimulants, temperature..... etc.

A good HRM gives a good estimation, but thats all it is. If you are tracking calories, food labels are typical anyway so unless you are a professional nutritionist trying to strip that last 0.1% of body fat off a tour rider, dont stress over it.

But 1000cal for an hour at 20mph is fair for a fit but larger rider.

[yellowjack]

Yesterday - I rode 35 miles / 2hr 15min / 1093 calories burned.

I've no idea how accurate the data is, but my correct height/weight/age are in the settings, and even if it's out, I'm guessing it's out by a similar proportion all the time, so although I can't rely on it to measure calorie consumption accurately, I'll know when I've used more or less calories in relation to previous rides, no?

That data's from Strava/Garmin Edge500 with HRM and cadence. Average power estimate came out as 121w.

(So I'm not going to be banging on Dave Brailsford's door anytime soon )

[okgo]

E38 - a power meter is 100% accurate. It gives you a value of work done in KJ that is correct. The only variable is efficiency of your metabolism but most people fall within the range that strava gives so if you have powermeter then the calorie figure on strava is very accurate.

[E38]

okgo said:

E38 - a power meter is 100% accurate. It gives you a value of work done in KJ that is correct. The only variable is efficiency of your metabolism but most people fall within the range that strava gives so if you have powermeter then the calorie figure on strava is very accurate.

Of course a power meter is accurate for output. But energy out is not equal to energy in, its indefinitely complicated. My point was that unless you know or want to log every variable, a simple calculator like the OP linked to or the approximation strava gives is good enough.

[PurpleMoonlight]

It begs the question, if the calculator is way off, what is the likely calorie burn for an average person cycling for an hour at a 13 mph average?

[okgo]

E38 said:

Of course a power meter is accurate for output. But energy out is not equal to energy in, its indefinitely complicated. My point was that unless you know or want to log every variable, a simple calculator like the OP linked to or the approximation strava gives is good enough.

A powermeter is many many many times more accurate than any other method, including heart rate, for most people the conversion strava makes is very accurate to metabolic conversion.

Have a read of this thread, some smart people (Alex is a very renowned coach with various degrees in this that and the other, like yourself I think?)

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=16...

[Rocksteadyeddie]

PurpleMoonlight said:

It begs the question, if the calculator is way off, what is the likely calorie burn for an average person cycling for an hour at a 13 mph average?

About the same as sat on the sofa stuffing your face with Krispy Kremes. HTH