How do exercise bikes calculate calories?

Introduction:
This is the age of technology and science has made our lives more easy by inventing many equipments,
Exercise bike is one of them. It is a device used for indoor cycling. Its major parts includes a saddle,
pedals and some form of handlebars arranged as on a bicycle without wheels. These exercise bikes are
used for weight loss and physical therapy. These mini cycles help exercisers to burn calories, helps
moderate blood sugar levels and improve general circulation. Calories are calculated on exercise bike.

Now the question is how do exercise bikes calculate calories?

If the bike is calculating calories based on technical data like metabolic equivalents (METs) and watts,
the calorie calculation can be very accurate. Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco’s
human performance Centre are found that stationary bikes are the most accurate way calculate the
calories burnt. Here I am discussing that how we can calculate calories burnt, how exercise bike
calculate calories, how accurate are exercise bikes calculators and are exercise bikes good for weight
loss or not?

Table of content:
Your weight ……kg

Time of activity …..Hours

Energy burn …..kcal

Weight loss …..kg

How do exercise bikes calculate calories?

In order to check that how many calories are burnt follow these simple steps:

Enter your weight.

Enter the time stand cycling in minutes.

If you know the distance enter your distance.

If you don’t know the distance leave this blank and select your speed, calculator will workout your
speed.

Formula

Calories burned per minute = MET × body weight in Kg x 3.5 ÷ 200

A 150 person cycling steady pace of 14mph will burn 48 calories per mile, that same person travelling at
20mph would burn 56 calories per mile. A 200 Ib person biking at normal speed of 14mph will burn 64
calories per mile, if they sped up to 20mph , this would increase 275 calories per mile.

For calculation of exact number of calories burned requires the bearing energy expended by individual
cells in human body which no gym machine can do except stationary bikes.

How accurate are exercise bike calories calculator?

John Porcari, the professor of exercise and sports science at the University of Wisconsin La crossie says
that:

“Trying to determine how many calories somebody is burning is not easy.”

In a study published in 2017, Mattsson tested the calorie counters of several wrist born monitors. The
most accurate one was off by an average of 27%. Stationary bikes and elliptical machines have less
impact and therefore these and more accurate. All experts said that you should get a heart rate monitor
of your own. The average person will burn 400 to 800 calories per hour bicycling. The number of calories
burned cycling will depend on your weight , the distance and speed of cycle, and the type and level of
terrain. On a firm , level surface biking at 10mph (6min/mile, or 16kph) a 200 pound person is estimated

to burn 649 calories per hour and a 150 pound person 487 calories per hour.

A task with a MET of 1 is roughly equal to person’s energy expenditure from sitting still at
room temperature not properly digesting food.

MET values do not estimate the energy cost of physical activity in individuals in many ways that account
for differences in body mass, adiposity, sex, age, efficiency of movement, geographic and environmental
conditions in which the different activities are performed. Thus, individual differences in energy
expenditure for the same activity can be large and the true energy cost for an individual may or may not
be close to stated mean MET level.

Faster and more intensive biking will burn more calories per minute of activity.180-pound (81.6kg)
person biking at 5.5mph (8.8kmh) will burn 300 calories in 1 hour of biking. The same person biking at
15mph (24kmh) will burn 952 calories in one hour of biking.

The more you bike, the more calories you burn, the basic rule of thumb is that you’ll burn about 50
calories for every mile of biking.

Are Exercise bikes good for weight loss?

There are many weight loss equipments but your choice should be exercise bike because exercise bikes
are a great option if your goal is weight loss. The exercise bike burns calories, assist in creating a caloric
deficit which is necessary for weight loss. The average person can burn 260 calories for a moderate 30
minutes ride on a stationary exercise bike, which can contribute to your overall weight loss goals.

When it comes to weight loss, caloric deficit must required. This means that you need to be eating fewer
calories than what your body needs. So if your maintenance calories is 2000 a day, then sustainable
caloric deficit might mean you can only consume around 1500 to 1700 calories.

Final thought:
After so hard research, I came to the result that exercise bike is best for weight loss due to its following
advantages:

Strengthen the lower Body:

It works not only the legs, particularly the quads and calves, but also the hamstrings, glutes and give
strength to body.

Improves Cardio fitness:

Exercise bike assists in improving your cardiovascular fitness and endurance levels. A healthier heart also
means that it’ll be able to pump blood & deliver oxygen around the body more efficiently so you’ll have
better lung capacity.

Puts you in a better mood:

It is great for putting you in great mood, relieves stress, anger, anxiety and you can take it all out on the
pedal.

Low Impact:
These are not hard on the joints or ligaments like other exercise can be. If you’re worried about your
joints, particularly your knees, then an exercise bike is ideal. It’s also recommended for those who
already have problems and need to protect their joints.

Safe alternative:
If you want to cycle but do not want to head out onto the roads, then indoor exercise bike is the ideal
choice. You can cycle in the comfort of your home without having to deal with hazards such as vehicles,
pedestrians and even any other cyclists.