Running machines -Calories?

[Truck]

Due to a business trip in the roasting hot Vietnam I’ve been forced to use the hotel gym.
I was hoping to get out on the streets but the outside temp has been getting over 40 Deg C.
The running machine I used today seemed to be able to calculate how many calories I was burning (This is all new to me as I really hate using gyms and running machines).
Does anyone know how accurate these things are? I seemed to bang out over 500 calories well within 30 mins.
Working in the scientific industry I was tempted to ask the dude at the gym to see the running machines calibration certificate.

[Witton Park]

You big softy. I used to run round the streets of Ho Chi Minh at 6:30 in the morning - just a swift 5K or so, but it was difficult to find a treadmill that worked properly in the hotels in the far east when I used to travel out there.
I can't speak for the treadmill accuracy. I would depend on you inputting your details though, so I would be tempted to suggest you use it as a guide.

[Dynamo Dan]

Due to a business trip in the roasting hot Vietnam I’ve been forced to use the hotel gym.
I was hoping to get out on the streets but the outside temp has been getting over 40 Deg C.
The running machine I used today seemed to be able to calculate how many calories I was burning (This is all new to me as I really hate using gyms and running machines).
Does anyone know how accurate these things are? I seemed to bang out over 500 calories well within 30 mins.
Working in the scientific industry I was tempted to ask the dude at the gym to seem the running machines calibration certificate.

Hi Tim I've been wondering where you've been! I ran a 5k park run yesterday with my heart rate monitor. It's only cheap, but it has all my vital statistics, weight, rht ect and it said I burned 400 calories. That was running almost flat out for around twenty mins.

[Truck]

You big softy. I used to run round the streets of Ho Chi Minh at 6:30 in the morning - just a swift 5K or so, but it was difficult to find a treadmill that worked properly in the hotels in the far east when I used to travel out there.
I can't speak for the treadmill accuracy. I would depend on you inputting your details though, so I would be tempted to suggest you use it as a guide.

Haha... Yep I feel like a plonker
I'm in HCM city now.
6:30am is not a time I can work with.

Hi Tim I've been wondering where you've been! I ran a 5k park run yesterday with my heart rate monitor. It's only cheap, but it has all my vital statistics, weight, rht ect and it said I burned 400 calories. That was running almost flat out for around twenty mins.

Hi Dan.
I was thinking there could be a 10-15% error on the reading. So that would put me around 425 - 450 (which feels a bit more like it).

500 just seemed a bit too much.

[AndyA]

I guess that the machine can accurately calculate your energy output, if it knows your weight, as that's a fairly simple calculation for it to do

It'll then need to come up with an efficiency quotient to give you an energy consumption. This is where the fudge comes in; I'd like to think that the manufacturer's have had dozens of test subjects connected up to breathing equipment to do some rig tests but I suspect that's not true! Perhaps there's some industry wide algorithms for this kind of stuff, in which it'll be more accurate if it asks for more data (height, weight, sex, build etc.)

[Truck]

[QUOTE=AndyA;496032]I guess that the machine can accurately calculate your energy output, if it knows your weight, as that's a fairly simple calculation for it to do

It'll then need to come up with an efficiency quotient to give you an energy consumption. This is where the fudge comes in; I'd like to think that the manufacturer's have had dozens of test subjects connected up to breathing equipment to do some rig tests but I suspect that's not true! Perhaps there's some industry wide algorithms for this kind of stuff, in which it'll be more accurate if it asks for more data (height, weight, sex, build etc.)[/QUOTE

Yep. That all sounds sensible.