Givememykoolaid

Q: Low calorie count?

My calorie count for my workouts is non-existent!  I can walk a two miles and it tells me I have burned 110 calories.  Is anyone else having really low calorie counts? 

Watch Sport 42mm, iOS 8.3

Posted on Apr 30, 2015 7:58 PM

Close

Q: Low calorie count?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by craigfromlincoln,Helpful

    craigfromlincoln craigfromlincoln May 1, 2015 8:29 PM in response to Givememykoolaid
    Level 1 (10 points)
    May 1, 2015 8:29 PM in response to Givememykoolaid

    The activity app is a joke, I did 30 minutes indoor cycling and it logged 200kcals. There is no way of setting the power of the activity, sure if I'd cycled at a low power setting this would be correct, but I didn't. It's a complete waste of time unless it can be tailored to the activity.

  • by DrewUK,

    DrewUK DrewUK May 1, 2015 3:30 AM in response to craigfromlincoln
    Level 2 (460 points)
    May 1, 2015 3:30 AM in response to craigfromlincoln

    Did you just let the Activity app monitor you or did you select the indoor cycle option in the workout app?

  • by craigfromlincoln,

    craigfromlincoln craigfromlincoln May 1, 2015 4:20 AM in response to DrewUK
    Level 1 (10 points)
    May 1, 2015 4:20 AM in response to DrewUK

    Indoor cycle from the Activity app.

  • by craigfromlincoln,Helpful

    craigfromlincoln craigfromlincoln May 1, 2015 8:30 PM in response to craigfromlincoln
    Level 1 (10 points)
    May 1, 2015 8:30 PM in response to craigfromlincoln

    I just did an experiment, 15 minutes at 150W, I weigh 100Kg. Most website list this as around 180kcal, my machine calculated 210kcal and Apple say I only did 96kcal. Until the activities can be adjusted the app is effectively useless.

  • by alex_h1,

    alex_h1 alex_h1 May 1, 2015 12:43 PM in response to Givememykoolaid
    Community Specialists
    May 1, 2015 12:43 PM in response to Givememykoolaid

    Hi there Givememykoolaid,

     

    In order to better improve the accuracy of measurements such as the calories burned in the Workout app, I suggest running through the steps in the first article below to help calibrate the Apple Watch.  Also, wearing your Apple Watch more often will help improve the accuracy of the data measurement over time.

     

    Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy - Apple Support

     

     

    Get the best measurement

    Your Apple Watch will estimate your measurements during workouts based on the information that you entered during setup, but you can further improve its accuracy using these tips:

    • Wearing your Apple Watch regularly can improve the accuracy of the Activity and Workout apps.
    • Choose the Workout that best matches what you’re doing. For example, if you're running on a treadmill, choose Indoor Run.
    • For GPS accuracy when you walk, run, or cycle outdoors, select the appropriate Workout and bring your iPhone. This will also help calibrate the accelerometer in Apple Watch for times when you don’t have GPS, such as during treadmill workouts or when you're running outside without your phone.
    • To get the most accurate heart rate measurement when you use Workout, make sure your Apple Watch fits snugly on top of your wrist. The heart rate sensor should stay close to your skin.
    • You can also use another heart rate monitoring device, such as a chest strap. To pair an external heart rate monitor with your Apple Watch, tap the Settings app on the Home screen, then tap Bluetooth and select it under Health Devices. Learn more about the Apple Watch heart rate sensor, its accuracy, and its limitations.

    Use the Workout app on Apple Watch - Apple Support

     

    Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities

     

    Cheers,

    Alex H.

  • by Givememykoolaid,

    Givememykoolaid Givememykoolaid May 1, 2015 8:29 PM in response to alex_h1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 1, 2015 8:29 PM in response to alex_h1

    I have done all of the below except for using my chest strap.  It is tracking my heart rate accurately as I have worn my chest strap for these types of activities and the watch reports similar bpm.  The calorie count is about half what it should be and while I understand that the watch has just been released I would think that a device that is touted for its health monitoring would at least be able to calculate calorie burn closer than half the value obtained from multiple other sources.

  • by craigfromlincoln,

    craigfromlincoln craigfromlincoln May 1, 2015 11:15 PM in response to alex_h1
    Level 1 (10 points)
    May 1, 2015 11:15 PM in response to alex_h1

    How ould this solution help with 'Indoor' activities. The issue with the indoor activities is that they cannot be tailored to set the intensity of the workout being completed.

  • by julie78787,

    julie78787 julie78787 May 15, 2016 5:38 AM in response to craigfromlincoln
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Apple Watch
    May 15, 2016 5:38 AM in response to craigfromlincoln

    The heart rate is used to determine intensity.

     

    Caloric burn is remarkably simple - the heart pumps oxygenated blood through the body. The number of calories burned, and the amount of oxygen consumed, are very closely related so long as you're not outside the aerobic range. The good news is that anaerobic exercise isn't an endurance activity -- that's mostly sprints and the like.

     

    The mystery number is something called the "stroke volume", which is the amount of blood pumped by the heart for each beat. From what I've been able to tell, the Watch must be calculating something equivalent to the "stroke volume" (most likely it's in units akin to "calories per heart beat") during the calibration process. Each "stroke" at a given heart rate (stroke volume is heart rate dependent -- see the Frank-Starling Law) provides a given amount of oxygenated blood, and the body balances heart rate to maintain blood oxygen levels. Calories burned per amount of oxygen is a well-known value.