I use my Apple Watch for all my runs and since updating to WatchOs 5 beta it seems to show higher calorie burn on runs. Has anyone else notice this? I assume they have changed the formula they have used
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Higher calorie burn when running in WatchOS 5
- Thread starter dolphinit
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Likely a new algorithm with the new OS. Calorie figures should be taken with a grain of salt, I would not depend on accuracy either way.
I use iSmoothRun to track my running. The app consistently reports higher calorie burn than similar runs using the stock AW workout app. This also applied when I used to use the NRC app.
What I've noticed is that the AW's move ring doesn't use the calorie burn reported by iSR. So on days that I run, my Active Calorie total is much higher than my Move Ring total. On days that I don't run (or if I do using the stock app), the totals are equal.
I'm guessing that the AW stock app uses a more conservative algorithm to determine calorie burn.
What I've noticed is that the AW's move ring doesn't use the calorie burn reported by iSR. So on days that I run, my Active Calorie total is much higher than my Move Ring total. On days that I don't run (or if I do using the stock app), the totals are equal.
I'm guessing that the AW stock app uses a more conservative algorithm to determine calorie burn.
I’ve had the same experience. But, I have noticed it is more in line with the calorie count on my Runkeeper app after a workout. That said, I received 20 move calories on my drive home tonight. Not sure if driving a car is considered “active”.
Since updating a few days ago, I've had about 50 additional calories per run (~480 to ~530) each day. It's also tracked my heart rate lower - from the 165-175 range to 140-155. All for the exact same treadmill runs as normal. It made me think it wasn't recording heart rate, but the graph looks normal.
It burns more calories in general, not just runs. Day to day stuff is easier to close the ring now.
However, default AW workout/activity apps were always the most frugal with calorie numbers. The same run in Workout that burned 300 calories would burn 400 in Strava and 500 in the old Nike app. I'd rather have Apples number tbh.
Stravas is the worst, which is surprising. A 4.1km run burns 410 calories. A 3.8km run burns 380. That's just so convenient.
However, default AW workout/activity apps were always the most frugal with calorie numbers. The same run in Workout that burned 300 calories would burn 400 in Strava and 500 in the old Nike app. I'd rather have Apples number tbh.
Stravas is the worst, which is surprising. A 4.1km run burns 410 calories. A 3.8km run burns 380. That's just so convenient.
I noticed the same thing today, so I looked at a run last week that was pretty close to time and pace, and it is definitely now higher:
Last week: 3.15 miles, time 30:48, active cal: 315, total cal: 368
Today: 3.12 miles, time 30:27, active cal: 355, total cal: 408
Last week: 3.15 miles, time 30:48, active cal: 315, total cal: 368
Today: 3.12 miles, time 30:27, active cal: 355, total cal: 408
Yeah my watch is being very generous with calories burned for me today. I watch it count up the calories when I’m just sitting on the couch. Went upstairs once and it considered that 1 minute of excersise even. Not sure what’s going on. I guess they figure they weren’t giving us enough credit for moving around? But which one is more accurate? The way it was before? Or the way it is now?!?!
I’m going to go for another long 15 mile run coming up here pretty soon and I’ll report back. I took my last 15 miler on watch os 4 and the next will be on 5. I always run at pretty much the same exact pace and finis at the same time so it will be interesting to see how much more it gives me for active calories.
I’m going to go for another long 15 mile run coming up here pretty soon and I’ll report back. I took my last 15 miler on watch os 4 and the next will be on 5. I always run at pretty much the same exact pace and finis at the same time so it will be interesting to see how much more it gives me for active calories.
I'm still on wOS 4.x and I've noticed that my running app (iSR) reports higher active calorie counts that the stock app. However, the Move ring somehow doesn't use the calories reported from iSR and uses data obtained independently from the watch.
On days that I run, my Active Calories will trail my Move Ring by 50 to 75 calories. On days that I don't run, they match.
I'm too lazy to add the data up to see if the difference on Run Days is consistent with the typical calorie count from the stock app, but my guess is that the answer is yes.
I'm actually OK with undercounting on the Move ring as it makes it harder to achieve.
On days that I run, my Active Calories will trail my Move Ring by 50 to 75 calories. On days that I don't run, they match.
I'm too lazy to add the data up to see if the difference on Run Days is consistent with the typical calorie count from the stock app, but my guess is that the answer is yes.
I'm actually OK with undercounting on the Move ring as it makes it harder to achieve.
I think it’s more accurate now. I use to cycle around doing errands and hardly got credit for it. Same with walking the dog. I use to look at it and think BS.
Either way you will get use to the new counting and push on on quieter days. 350 is the new 500.
Either way you will get use to the new counting and push on on quieter days. 350 is the new 500.
Yes, I’m seeing the same thing as others have reported. I’m hitting “record calories burnt” per strength & conditioning workout.
Looks like I need to tell my coaches it’s because of WatchOS 5, not me working harder.
Looks like I need to tell my coaches it’s because of WatchOS 5, not me working harder.
I just looked at mine and I’m confused.
I am an elementary school librarian. The library is huge, the school is huge, and I am not one of those educators who lives behind the desk. I hit at least 10,000 steps a day before I leave work. My move ring is set for 480 calories (I am not a big exerciser) and I usually exceed that slightly.
Over the past few days my move ring has closed and it has told me that I had burned like 700 some calories.
I doubt it.
I am an elementary school librarian. The library is huge, the school is huge, and I am not one of those educators who lives behind the desk. I hit at least 10,000 steps a day before I leave work. My move ring is set for 480 calories (I am not a big exerciser) and I usually exceed that slightly.
Over the past few days my move ring has closed and it has told me that I had burned like 700 some calories.
I doubt it.
Yeah getting almost 100 more calories counted. Just took a run on a route I’ve been running for years and I even reset the calibration and here’s what I got. They totally messed with some stuff. I don’t like it. This is running with the phone on my armband also. I have a series 2 and after I updated it to watch os 4 and now 5 it tracks runs inaccurately and gives me more distance than it should when I don’t have the phone with me so now I just bring the phone with every time. Sucks.
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How many more miles? I used to have this problem too. AW alone would give me about 15% more miles than AW+iPhone. This was verified against mileage obtained from Google Maps and Endomondo (runs pre-AW on my old iPhone5).
I re-paired my watch to the iPhone and it's been dead on ever since. It could have also been a few settings that were turned off for some reason. I did both things, so I don't exactly know which one fixed the mileage issue.
This is the right way to approach it. Frankly I don't care what the actual number is, I use the activity tracking for relative purposes. That means if I hit 800 one day, I don't care if it's actually 800, just that it's an uptick from a non work out day.
It would start out dead on for the first half mile to a mile but by mile 2 it was getting ahead of what it really was supposed to be. By the end of the run it would be off a tenth to a quarter mile or more. So a 6 mile run would come up like 6.14 and a ten mile would be like 10.26. Super frustrating. Tried repairing. Same problem. I just run with the phone now. Sucks because I bought the watch to run without the phone!!!
[doublepost=1537547553][/doublepost]I think in watch os 4 they started integrating the steps per minute more and trying to fill in what they think your were running more based on that rather than the actual gps data and that’s why things started screwing up. When you run with the phone it pulls only the data from the phones gps that’s why it’s more accurate.
Just for giggles, would you mind checking your iPhone's settings for the following?
Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Motion Calibration & Distance - on or off? Mine's "on", but I think when I was having issues, this was "off". After the re-pairing and setting this to "on", the AW-alone and AW+iPhone distances were equal.
I'm still on iOS11, so it might be in a slightly different location on 12.
I agree with the consensus that WatchOS 5 is more generous on calorie burn all around. I noticed it throughout the beta. My daily minimum is set at 800, and I barely have to do any organized exercise to get there. Under WatchOS 4, it would take a 3 mile run to get me comfortably over 800 by bedtime.
I'm running watchOS 5.0 on the S3 (S4 still on order). Without question I am nearly 20-30% higher in calorie burn per day under watchOS 5.0 in both workouts and general daily burn. I've done a hard reset of the watch but no change.
I totally get that Apple may refine their formulas for calorie burn to make them more accurate but I find it hard to believe that the old numbers were 30% low (that is huge change) so while its easy enough for me to "up" my move ring target I'm concerned about using these new higher numbers for the Loseit (or Myfitnesspal etc.) apps that help balance your food calorie intact vs. your daily burn. I suddenly get to eat an extra donut and a half a day now! Yeah... ok? I wonder if this is a bug or was it intentional?
I totally get that Apple may refine their formulas for calorie burn to make them more accurate but I find it hard to believe that the old numbers were 30% low (that is huge change) so while its easy enough for me to "up" my move ring target I'm concerned about using these new higher numbers for the Loseit (or Myfitnesspal etc.) apps that help balance your food calorie intact vs. your daily burn. I suddenly get to eat an extra donut and a half a day now! Yeah... ok? I wonder if this is a bug or was it intentional?
I'm starting to feel like this may be a bug. Its way too easy for me to get move calories and exercise minutes compared to before.. How are more people not noticing this??? My step count has skyrocketed too.. Something weird is going on with watch os 5.