What is the relationship between heart rate and caloric burn and how can my heart rate monitor help me burn more calories?

Posted 20 October 2008

The best way to optimize calorie burn is to divide heart rate into zones. At approximately 70% of your maximum hear rate, 8 calories per minute are generally burned. At 80% of maximum heart rate, approximately 10 to 12 calories are burned per minute. Caloric expenditure increases to 16 to 20 calories per minute at 80 to 90% of maximum heart rate. Always remember, there is more to caloric expenditure than just heart rate. Consider lean body mass, metabolism and other physiological factors. The bottom line is that working out in a lower heart rate zone requires more time to burn calories. If you are working out below 70% of your max heart rate you won’t be burning many calories. If you pick it up too much you will tire out. To maximize calorie burn find the highest heart rate you can maintain for 30 minutes and hold it steady during your workout.

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