How to Convert Heart Rate to Calories Burned
The amount of calories burned is directly related to amount of oxygen consumed. Lliters of oxygen consumed per minute multiplied by five equals calories burned. You need special equipment to measure actual oxygen consumption, but you can estimate it by measuring your heart rate. The highest amount of calories burned comes from exercising legs, arms, abdominals and back muscles followed by increased heart and breathing rates.
Instructions
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Find Heart Rate
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1
Locate your pulse using your index and ring finger. The best places are on the carotid artery in your neck or the radial artery in your wrist.
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2
Once you feel the rhythm of your pulse, count the beats for 15 seconds.
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3
Multiply this number by four to find your heart rate for one minute.
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4
To determine your maximum suggested heart rate, subtract your age from 220.
Calculate Calories Burned
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5
Divide your heart rate by your maximum rate to calculate the percentage of the maximum rate.
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6
Multiply your maximum-rate percentage by three to calculate oxygen consumption in liters per minute. Three liters of oxygen per minute is an average maximum consumption (VO2 max) number. If you know your VO2 max, use that number instead of multiplying by three.
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7
Multiply the liters of oxygen consumed per minute by five to determine number of calories burned per minute at that heart rate.
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1
Tips & Warnings
It helps to have someone else time 15 seconds for you when finding your heart rate so you can concentrate on counting accurately.
Your heart rate will change throughout a workout, so try taking your heart rate at 15-minute intervals to find an average.
The amount of actual calories burned depends on age, gender, weight, overall fitness and type of activity performed, so this calculation should be used only as a general estimate.
