Calories burned during a run

Yes, that is an unreasonably low figure.

First thought is your maxHR is set way too high. What is it set to on the watch and how did you arrive at that figure? While using a formula is better than nothing as a starting point, it's essentially the same as using your height to calculate your shoe size. Chances are your real shoe size is substantially different from the "population average" the formula is based on.

Also check that all of your other physiological settings are correct. Age, gender, height, weight, and resting HR.

Yes, that is an unreasonably low figure.

First thought is your maxHR is set way too high. What is it set to on the watch and how did you arrive at that figure? While using a formula is better than nothing as a starting point, it's essentially the same as using your height to calculate your shoe size. Chances are your real shoe size is substantially different from the "population average" the formula is based on.

Also check that all of your other physiological settings are correct. Age, gender, height, weight, and resting HR.

Thanks gpb11.

I've just gone through my settings and age, gender, height and weight are set correctly. My max HR setting of 185 ties in well with previous data I've got from a separate heart rate belt obtained from an eyeballs-out workout. The heart rate zones 1 to 5 also tie in well with my previous information. However, I notice that the resting HR setting in the app is showing as zero. I'd kind of assumed that this figure would have been automatically updated from the 235's own readings but maybe this isn't the case? Do you think that this may be responsible for the calorie anomaly?

It could be, although I'd think you'd have seen the reverse effect; a higher than expected calorie count.

I'm unsure if the watch will override a set RHR with the one it measures; you'd think it would have a setting to enable this or not, but I'm unsure. It doesn't seem that my 235 have overridden the RHR I'd set up so maybe not?

My other thought is that it may take a few sessions before the software gets dialed in. So if you've just done a couple runs I'd keep at it for a few more and see if the numbers start to make sense. I'm unsure how what you're seeing would be a hardware problem, so failing anything else I'd go for a master reset/restore-defaults and maybe even reflash the firmware using the WebUpdater software. Then if that fails exchange the watch at your retailer.

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It could be, although I'd think you'd have seen the reverse effect; a higher than expected calorie count.

I'm unsure if the watch will override a set RHR with the one it measures; you'd think it would have a setting to enable this or not, but I'm unsure. It doesn't seem that my 235 have overridden the RHR I'd set up so maybe not?

My other thought is that it may take a few sessions before the software gets dialed in. So if you've just done a couple runs I'd keep at it for a few more and see if the numbers start to make sense. I'm unsure how what you're seeing would be a hardware problem, so failing anything else I'd go for a master reset/restore-defaults and maybe even reflash the firmware using the WebUpdater software. Then if that fails exchange the watch at your retailer.

I'm hoping you're right and that after a few runs it might settle down. After all, I haven't yet run enough to get a VO2 max estimate yet.

I put in my RHR to the user settings yesterday and did another run last night. 4.01km in 26:22 and the 235 is showing 56 calories. Interestingly, I have the Garmin connected to Strava and Strava is showing the same run as having a 534 calorie burn which seems much more likely given that I weigh 108 kilograms. I don't know if Strava makes its own calorie estimation based on the imported GPS and heart rate data or if it just takes what Garmin says. If it's the latter then maybe the Garmin is calculating correctly but is somehow reporting incorrectly. I'm confused!

I'm hoping you're right and that after a few runs it might settle down. After all, I haven't yet run enough to get a VO2 max estimate yet.

I put in my RHR to the user settings yesterday and did another run last night. 4.01km in 26:22 and the 235 is showing 56 calories. Interestingly, I have the Garmin connected to Strava and Strava is showing the same run as having a 534 calorie burn which seems much more likely given that I weigh 108 kilograms. I don't know if Strava makes its own calorie estimation based on the imported GPS and heart rate data or if it just takes what Garmin says. If it's the latter then maybe the Garmin is calculating correctly but is somehow reporting incorrectly. I'm confused!

Check and see what the FR was seeing your HR. I am betting it was very low which kills the calorie count. Garmin has a bug in it's OS that kills the HR numbers.

Check and see what the FR was seeing your HR. I am betting it was very low which kills the calorie count. Garmin has a bug in it's OS that kills the HR numbers.

Perhaps. From the complaints here it seems some people are experiencing such an issue. I've not seen it since the WHRM 2.40 update came out.

I'm guessing that maybe I'm misunderstanding something here because I haven't heard any other similar reports from anyone else.

Hey there, you are not alone! Today I ran 10.54km in 56:41 and burnt 112 kcal according to the watch. According to Endomondo-App it would be 879 kcal.

Strangely though, in the previous 2 weeks it was calculated correct (my last run was 3 days ago). I am not sure what has changed in the last 3 days. One data is completely different for the today's run: The TE-Value (Training-Effect) is 1.0, whereas before it was always around 4 and 5. I have no idea why and what this could allude to. Some speak of a learning process of the watch and I don't know if this has concluded today (after 2 weeks in use) and is way off track now.

That's strange, I mean... for running/walking it's basically distance (in km) times weight (in kg) right?

That's my rough guideline and it almost always is within 10% of the counts by sites like runkeeper, endomondo, runtastic, tomtom, garmin.

But yeah, perhaps if the HR is registered way bad that influences things way too much.

That's strange, I mean... for running/walking it's basically distance (in km) times weight (in kg) right?

Not really. That's a starting point, certainly, but is based on averaged assumptions about individual calorie burn per distance covered.

HRM info is leveraged in the calculations to help account for factors such as stride efficiency/inefficiency, head/tailwinds, elevation changes, etc.
Particularly, metabolic efficiency is estimated based on heartrate variability (which also is used for the VO2max estimate), and is factored into the calorie estimates. If that hasn't yet been established by the watch (i.e. if it hasn't yet estimated VO2max), then the resulting calorie numbers are likely suspect.

For more info see http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/11/how-calorie-measurement-works-on-garmin.html

Today I ran 10.54km in 56:41 and burnt 112 kcal according to the watch. ... I am not sure what has changed in the last 3 days. One data is completely different for the today's run: The TE-Value (Training-Effect) is 1.0,

Somethings definitely out of whack. What's the watch claiming as your VO2max? All the user settings correct, height / weight / gender / age / minHR / maxHR / etc?

If all those are set properly I'm at a loss for what might be wrong.