Calories

Firmware 12 changed how the calories are reported. The following is from the firmware change list.

"Added support for including metabolic calories in the total calories reported in the calories data field and recorded in the activity file."

As far as I know there is no option to change this new calculation. Seems strange to me that the metabolic calories are included.

Thanks for explaining.  This sucks.  I need to know what I achieved from the exercise, specifically.  I guess it's finally time to try out the Hammerhead.  Damn!

DickVH said:

I need to know what I achieved from the exercise, specifically.

...as you said in the opening post:  kCal of exercise = kJoule
That easy 

I haven't figured out how Garmin now calculates the metabolic calories. I guess it takes your daily number and gets a per hour or minute value to add to the exercise number. I don't think the majority of users will like this new method and Garmin will have to make it optional.

I would avoid the Hammerhead. I've had very negative experiences with the company.

Well, I have to try something.  I need to know how many calories I burned as a direct result of the ride.  I have a weight management app that makes direct use of this info and now it doesn't work right.  It makes me what to stomp my feet and scream.  Metabolic calories are not part of the cycling dynamic, they are burned whether you're riding or not.  Damn!  I don't know any way to get info from the power meter without a bike computer. 

If you use the powermeter and upload your fit file to Garmin Connect, you still will see the energy you spent only for the exercise - it is the kJoule number.

As you stated - before the software update this number was equal to Cal (kCal). Now they added metabolic calories, but the kJ number shown in GC still ist the result of yor spent energy measured by powermeter.

The Cal number now is: Energy Cal (=kJ number) + metabolic Cal.

In other words: the added metabolic kCal = Cal - kJ number.

In my case they add 70-80 kCal per hour.

And… I don‘t understand your comment:

 I don't know any way to get info from the power meter without a bike computer. 

Of course you will need a device to receive data from your powermeter.

If you use the powermeter and upload your fit file to Garmin Connect, you still will see the energy you spent only for the exercise - it is the kJoule number.

As you stated - before the software update this number was equal to Cal (kCal). Now they added metabolic calories, but the kJ number shown in GC still ist the result of yor spent energy measured by powermeter.

The Cal number now is: Energy Cal (=kJ number) + metabolic Cal.

In other words: the added metabolic kCal = Cal - kJ number.

In my case they add 70-80 kCal per hour.

And… I don‘t understand your comment:

 I don't know any way to get info from the power meter without a bike computer. 

Of course you will need a device to receive data from your powermeter.

And here comes the explanation, why the for the exercise needed kCal equals kJoule:

1 kJ = 0,238 kCal  (to make it simple: 1 kJ = 0,25 kCal

But the human body has a pretty bad efficiency - it is estimated by (only) 25%.
That means, your body needs 4 times the energy which it produces for the output to the cranks, because much energy is needed for the higher heartrate, for more work of your lungs, to produce sweat and so on…

So, 100 kJ real energy output to your cranks = 100 * 0,25 kCal = 25 kCal. But your body need 4 times that calories.
25 kCal * 4 = 100 kCal.

That‘s why kJoule number equals kCal number for the exercise.

My problem is that I use some weight-management software that uses the Calories data directly from the Garmin and now that data is not the data needed.  I understand that KJ is equal to Calories consumed but my weight-management software doesn't. Damn!   BTW the comment you mentioned is in response to someone's comment that I should use data directly from my power meter.

Ahhh, ok - now I understand. Sorry for beeing the smart ass.
That‘s a pitty, really.