Originally Posted by
IBOHUNT
Garmin was never right so I just quit updating it. I don't look at what it reports for calories (until someone asks like in this thread).
I found and kept this from someplace on the Al Gore Web and it comes close enough for me.
Multiply the average power in W by the time in seconds to get Joules; divide by the kcal/kJ conversion of 4.184; then divide by your metabolic efficiency for cycling (generally in the range 20-25%) to figure out the number of food calories you burned to get from A to B (in addition to your base metabolic burn).
Assuming a cycling power efficiency of 25% and looking at a recent flat ride I did the calculated numbers came out to 1606 versus a Golden Cheetah/Training Peaks reported 1683 (1686 reported by Strava on 20 May.
If I use the 'barely got into the hilly ride category' I did last Sunday the calculated numbers are 4416 versus a Golden Cheetah/Training Peaks reported 4641 (4654 reported by Strava on 25 May). I'm not gonna fret over a 200 calorie difference in a 6,000 calorie day.
So, as the kids these days would say "EpicFail" for HR based numbers... imho
Roger that.
I plug my data into Training Peaks and it does all the calculating for me
That is all well and good but what are the masses to do that don't have a power meter? With power does Strava calculate a different calorie expenditure than it otherwise would without power? My calories from my Garmin are a bunch less than MFP's estimation and also Strava's guess. I go with the Garmin numbers and my weight loss is not just predictable but also repeatable. That leads me to believe that Garmin's numbers are pretty close. Could it be that their HRM of recent manufacture are more accurate? I just bought mine in a 510 bundle last fall.......
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