#Calorie counting devices Bluetooth#

But some shared the metrics they used in the equation, which helps explain the results of my testing (.xlxs). For men it is (-55.0969 + (.6309 x heart rate) + (.438 x weight) + (.2017 x age)] / 4.184.Įveryone else declined to reveal their algorithms, citing the usual pending patents and trade secrets. Wahoo Fitness, for instance, calculates burn rate in its iPhone app using the same two algorithms for every activity. Companies like Nike, Adidas and Motorola are expected to ship 90 million wearables by 2017, according to ABI Research.Įach device I tested crunches the numbers differently. Motivating couch potatoes and providing everyday athletes with data will be an increasingly lucrative business as so-called “wearable” computing devices like fitness trackers take off.

#Calorie counting devices Bluetooth#

I’m also testing MapMyFitness on an iPhone 4s linked to a Wahoo Bluetooth heart rate monitor.Īll of these gadgets promise to help you get in shape by tracking how much you move and how many calories you expend during a wide range of activities. The devices range from simple fitness trackers ( FitBit Ultra, Nike+ FuelBand, BodyMedia Link) to GPS watches ( Motorola MotoACTV, Garmin Forerunner 910XT, Polar RCX3) that communicate wirelessly with sensors pasted all over my body. I want to get a better idea of how they track calories. This grueling 15-minute bleacher run is the final leg of a training circuit I’ve devised to test seven wearable exercise monitors. I adjust one of the three monitors strapped to my chest and pick up the pace. My heart rate is a mere 165 beats per minute. Time has slowed to a crawl and, according to all of these gadgets, so have I. How long have I been hurling myself up and down these bleachers? I glance at the two watches on my left wrist. My ass is seriously dragging it feels like my shoes are sandbags. Sweat stings my eyes as I pound my way up another step.