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Strava calorie count

  • 06-10-2015 5:30am
    #1
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭


    Just wondering if the Strava calorie counter is considered to be accurate?

    For example, my commute to work is 12.9km, 183m elevation gain and at an average speed of 20.1km/h (38 minutes in total), it tells me 350 calories. Does that sound about right?


Comments

  • #2
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,140 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    No, it's very inaccurate. Actual calories likely much lower.


  • #3
    wilhelm roentgen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 256 ✭✭wilhelm roentgen


    Purely 'guesstimates'


  • #4
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 3,620 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    It's based on a simple calculation derived from your total power output. If your weight or bike weight in Strava is inaccurate your power is going to be wrong too.

    Even if you put all the info in correctly it makes some assumptions about your bikes mechanical efficiency and your wind resistance for the sake of simplicity.

    So it can be reasonably accurate in the right conditions but it makes lots of assumptions about conditions and bike setup.


  • #5
    D3PO
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    lets just say my garmin told me I did about 2100 calories in a ride the other day and strava said I did about 1200 for the same ride.

    I wouldn't trust either of em tbh far too many assumptions being made. That said you have burnt some carlirs so its all good :)


  • #6
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,011 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    D3PO wrote: »
    lets just say my garmin told me I did about 2100 calories in a ride the other day and strava said I did about 1200 for the same ride...
    Yes, my Garmin also gives about double what Strava gives. Also my old 500 used to go back to zero when it hit 10,000 calories during a ride.


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  • #7
    Alek
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,520 ✭✭✭Alek


    Actual calories likely much lower.
    In my case it is higher. I have finished a weight loss plan a few weeks ago - I was loosing fat much faster than what my baseline + strava calculated calorie loss would indicate.

    I say it would be between Strava and Garmin estimates for me.


  • #8
    Daroxtar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,353 ✭✭✭Daroxtar


    Strava doesn't take heart rate into account for its estimates. Garmin does. Both admit in a roundabout way that it's all guessing anyway.


  • #9
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭breadmonkey


    I feared as much. Thanks for the replies!


  • #10
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,140 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Maybe just eat less bread monkey. :pac:


  • #11
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 77,534 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Wishbone Ash wrote: »
    Also my old 500 used to go back to zero when it hit 10,000 calories during a ride.
    This is not a problem I've ever encountered .....


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  • #12
    dissed doc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,489 ✭✭✭dissed doc


    breadmonkey wrote: »
    Just wondering if the Strava calorie counter is considered to be accurate?

    For example, my commute to work is 12.9km, 183m elevation gain and at an average speed of 20.1km/h (38 minutes in total), it tells me 350 calories. Does that sound about right?

    Around 500-600 kcal per hour depending on intensity and fitness, so 350 for around 40 minutes sounds right to me. Strava's estimates are quite good iMO.


  • #13
    Macy0161
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,484 ✭✭✭Macy0161


    Strava gives higher than my Garmin with heart rate monitor (couple of hundred higher over 40km). Even with HRM, the calories burnt through exercise by apps/ garmins, don't really take into account what you would've burnt doing nothing. So if you're dieting and planning on eating earned calories, probably don't eat up to the total of what the apps are saying you've earned!


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