HRM - Polar F11, can this be right?

I walked today using my Polar F11 and stayed within my OwnZone for 50 minutes at about 3.8 mph.  It says that I burned 542 calories!!  Is that possible?  I followed the directions in the manual to do my Fitness Test and the OwnZone test.  It says that my "V02Max" (I know that it's not completely accurate) is 40 - I'm 26, 5'7.5", 155 lbs, and I kept my heart rate at about 132 bpm... I just don't see how 542 calories is possible...  I'm hoping that someone might be able to tell me what I did wrong, or if I even did anything wrong.

Thanks!

hello, hello, hello...  is there anybody "out" there, "out" there?  is there anyone at all?

What was your perceived level of exertion?  I'd have to be walking really fast to get my heart rate up to 132 but if I did I wouldn't be surprised if I burned 500 cals in an hour but were all different.  Was the pace intense?

I think that could be right.  I tend to burn about 500 calories (based on my HRM) during a 3 mile run - this takes me roughly 30-35 minutes and my average heart rate is usually in the 150s.  So, since you did your walk for longer and at a lower heart rate it makes sense to me.

Thank you trhawley,

My HRM said moderate, but I didn't feel like I was doing much... My resting heart rate is about 70 and when I walk at a normal pace, it's around 108... I was somewhere between a fast walk and really slow jog when I was at 132... I usually walk 3 miles in 40 mins... so that's about 4.5 mph, right?  CC says I burn about 297 calories at that pace in 40 mins and about 371 in 50 mins... so 542 just seemed out there...

Thanks ali,

I'm just really surprised... I thought I was burning WAY less calories than that.  This is good news!

My Polar F11 and this website never ever ever are within 300 cals for walking.  My HRM always logs more.  I think its because where I walk its lots of hills and steep ones not so steep ones and of course you also have to go downhill.   I can sometimes walk 5 miles in 90 minutes sometimes it will take less time.  There are also times when I walk that my HRM never logs my rate above 99 its those days I just give up and say the heck with this workout my body obviously isn't into it. 

If I use the CC exercise guide I have to usually log it as walking up hills carrying load at fast pace or something.

Hm, this seems too high to me.

 

I also have Polar F11, VO2Max = 45, 24 yo, but only 100lbs. I burn 550 kcal in 60 minutes running, with avg heart rate 175.

 

When you look at File->Daily-> pick that exercise and scroll down twice, it will show the max heart rate during the session and the average. Anything unusual there? Sometimes Polar gets crazy and reads something like 230, which throws off the estimate.

 

Just remember that you can't compare raw heart rate numbers from person to person since we all have difference maximums.  A heart rate of 175 for maha-kisa might be 65% of maximum and a heart rate of 132 for fate-rock could be 85% of maximum.

Original Post by trhawley:

Just remember that you can't compare raw heart rate numbers from person to person since we all have difference maximums.  A heart rate of 175 for maha-kisa might be 65% of maximum and a heart rate of 132 for fate-rock could be 85% of maximum.

Also according to the "max" heart rate I've should have blown up and died a hundred times now.  I'm 47 and my "max" is 156 but I've gone as high as 175 on several occasions also my resting heart rate is very low - 48 the better your cardio  health the harder it gets to raise that heart rate and keep it up there so if you are working hard your gonna burn more calories. 

Original Post by maha-kisa:

Hm, this seems too high to me.

 

I also have Polar F11, VO2Max = 45, 24 yo, but only 100lbs. I burn 550 kcal in 60 minutes running, with avg heart rate 175.

 

Like you said, you're 100lbs. You're going to burn a lot less calories than the OP (or most of us for that matter)

spirochete, yes, of course, this is exactly why I mentioned my weight, but I doubt the difference will be so huge... Maybe close to 150%, but not 200%. I just think the OP needs to double check it, so that she doesn't overestimate her calorie expenditure.

I've had problems with Polar when it gave funny readings.

 

trhawley, 175 is 89% MHR for me according to Polar. Though I don't understand how I can stay in this zone for so long. I should probably redo the OwnZone thing...

Original Post by maha-kisa:

Hm, this seems too high to me.

I also have Polar F11, VO2Max = 45, 24 yo, but only 100lbs. I burn 550 kcal in 60 minutes running, with avg heart rate 175.

When you look at File->Daily-> pick that exercise and scroll down twice, it will show the max heart rate during the session and the average. Anything unusual there? Sometimes Polar gets crazy and reads something like 230, which throws off the estimate.

I was under the impression that if your heart rate gets that high that it wasn't good unless you were doing HIIT. That seems really high to keep for 60 min. On a hard cardio session where the machine resistance and incline is maxed out I only get my heart rate up to 160-165 max...but for HIIT I can get it up that high but then that is a total different type of cardio and I do it for 30 seconds and slow way down for 1 minute.

Original Post by maha-kisa:

When you look at File->Daily-> pick that exercise and scroll down twice, it will show the max heart rate during the session and the average. Anything unusual there? Sometimes Polar gets crazy and reads something like 230, which throws off the estimate.

 

no, it says max was 165 (104%) - this was while walking up a VERY steep hill - and avg was 132 (84%).  i went walking/jogging yesterday for 30 minutes and it said i burned 334.  max was 166 (105%) and avg was 136 (86%).

You need to redo the Ownzone test because you can't exceed 100% of VO2 max/MHR and your HRM thinks that you did.

Yep, your settings are messed up. You said "I didn't feel like I was doing much", so I'm guessing you didn't even go over 80-85% your REAL MHR on your highest peak. So with 165 being max for the session, your MHR is probably around 195-205, definitely not 157.