Inconsistent results with Apple Watch

[webbga]

I have an Apple Watch 5. Prior to this I owned an Apple Watch Series 1. In both cases I have experience an inconsistent calorie count when working out. I know workouts vary, but I have relatively the same workout every morning - 70 minutes on the treadmill (60 minutes at 4.8 mph, and 10 minutes at 4.5 mph). For a long time my calorie burn was between 870-890. All of the sudden it has dropped to between 825-840. When I check the Fitness app on my phone I am walking the same pace (148spm) for the same amount of time and going the same distance (6.97 miles). This happened on the Series 1 and then got better with a subsequent update. It stayed steady for a few months and then dropped again. I have tried restarting the watch. On the Series 1 I deleted and the re pared the watch several times, but never with any change in results. I understand a calorie count is not spot on and a 20 calorie difference is no big deal, but when the difference is 70 or 80 calories for the same workout it makes me wonder whats going on. Any thoughts?

 

[schlupps]

was there a change related to your watch band/strap lately?

 

[Deliro]

The Apple Watch uses a combination of your heart rate, physical stats you entered (height weight), and the workout selected to guessimate the amount of calories burned. I don’t think it’s an exact science.

Your heart rate may be different each workout depending on other factors. Do you use different bands each work out? I think it’s more to give you an approximate.

 

[webbga]

was there a change related to your watch band/strap lately?

No change to the band. Same band worn on the same wrist and tightened to the same degree. I did a reset o nthe calibration and that helped for about two weeks and the other day it started decreasing again.

 

[ssnmad]

By any chance this happened after the recent update 7.2

 

[Buadhai]

As I've posted elsewhere: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/active-calories-similar-workouts-very-different.2277878/

I get wildly different results from nearly identical workouts with my Watch 6.

My Watch 2 was much more consistent.

 

[cdcastillo]

It sounds to me like you are in a better shape (more fit) and after this time your body spend less calories to make the same work.

You know, as in the normal results of training?

 

[Buadhai]

It sounds to me like you are in a better shape (more fit) and after this time your body spend less calories to make the same work.

You know, as in the normal results of training?

So, you think my body efficiency improved by 60% in the space of two weeks?

Or were you replying to the OP?

 

[webbga]

I am not sure there will be an explanation for this other than "just happens sometimes." After resetting the calibration things returned to normal for about two weeks. I had 3 days of "decreased" calorie count and then it bounced back again. I am looking for consistency, but that might be like asking a computer to act the same every time you use it. All in all I am happy with the watch.

 

[cdcastillo]

So, you think my body efficiency improved by 60% in the space of two weeks?

Or were you replying to the OP?

Since I did not quote you (like right now, for example): yes, you are right, I was replying to the OP.

I am not sure there will be an explanation for this other than "just happens sometimes." After resetting the calibration things returned to normal for about two weeks. I had 3 days of "decreased" calorie count and then it bounced back again. I am looking for consistency, but that might be like asking a computer to act the same every time you use it. All in all I am happy with the watch.

We are humans, we are not machines. Our bodies do not expend the exact same amount of calories every time we do something we deem to be the same as the last time (it never is the same).

Add to this the normal variation (approximation of measures taken by the watch), and you will get similar counts of calories, but almost never the same.

 

[Buadhai]

OK, now I'm just having fun with this.

I've gone back quite a ways comparing previous results with my Apple Watch 2 with current results with my Apple Watch 6. I do the exact same 11K cycling workout every weekday morning. It always takes me around 32 minutes.

On the left, Apple Watch 2. On the right, Apple Watch 6. As you can see, the Distance is almost exactly the same, Total Time is off by a minute and Average Speed differs by six tenths of a Kilometer per hour. But, Active Calories differs by 48 or about 25%. Results like this are quite consistent over time. The Apple Watch 2 always gives Total and Active Calorie estimates that are quite a bit higher than the Apple Watch 6.

The result of this is that with the Apple Watch 6 it is much harder for me to reach my Active Calorie goal each day, which is 600 (I'm 71 years old).

I have "fixed" this by reducing my goal to 550 which I can reach with the Watch 6 just as easily as I reached 600 with the Watch 2.

I figure that if Apple has changed the way it estimates calories it's perfectly OK for me to adjust my goals in the same way.

 

[cdcastillo]

Your body adjusted (you’re more “fit”) and now spend less calories to do the same workout than several years ago.

You can see this on the mean HR, it is lower now than it was back then.

OK, now I'm just having fun with this.

I've gone back quite a ways comparing previous results with my Apple Watch 2 with current results with my Apple Watch 6. I do the exact same 11K cycling workout every weekday morning. It always takes me around 32 minutes.

View attachment 1709470 View attachment 1709471

On the left, Apple Watch 2. On the right, Apple Watch 6. As you can see, the Distance is almost exactly the same, Total Time is off by a minute and Average Speed differs by six tenths of a Kilometer per hour. But, Active Calories differs by 48 or about 25%. Results like this are quite consistent over time. The Apple Watch 2 always gives Total and Active Calorie estimates that are quite a bit higher than the Apple Watch 6.

The result of this is that with the Apple Watch 6 it is much harder for me to reach my Active Calorie goal each day, which is 600 (I'm 71 years old).

I have "fixed" this by reducing my goal to 550 which I can reach with the Watch 6 just as easily as I reached 600 with the Watch 2.

I figure that if Apple has changed the way it estimates calories it's perfectly OK for me to adjust my goals in the same way.

 

[jz0309]

OK, now I'm just having fun with this.

I've gone back quite a ways comparing previous results with my Apple Watch 2 with current results with my Apple Watch 6. I do the exact same 11K cycling workout every weekday morning. It always takes me around 32 minutes.

View attachment 1709470 View attachment 1709471

On the left, Apple Watch 2. On the right, Apple Watch 6. As you can see, the Distance is almost exactly the same, Total Time is off by a minute and Average Speed differs by six tenths of a Kilometer per hour. But, Active Calories differs by 48 or about 25%. Results like this are quite consistent over time. The Apple Watch 2 always gives Total and Active Calorie estimates that are quite a bit higher than the Apple Watch 6.

The result of this is that with the Apple Watch 6 it is much harder for me to reach my Active Calorie goal each day, which is 600 (I'm 71 years old).

I have "fixed" this by reducing my goal to 550 which I can reach with the Watch 6 just as easily as I reached 600 with the Watch 2.

I figure that if Apple has changed the way it estimates calories it's perfectly OK for me to adjust my goals in the same way.

look at your average heart rate, so like @cdcastillo said ... I do the same workout/cycling myself on a regular basis, and I see variations in heart rate, sometimes avg 110ish, sometimes 120ish, and that is from one day to the next, with the same watch ... I do believe that Apple has made adjustments to calorie count in the various OS versions, and also from watch model to watch model ...

 

[sdz]

Look at your resting heart rate. If it is lower than before, I think your cardio vascular system is more "fit"

 

[Seabreeeze]

I have an Apple Watch 5. Prior to this I owned an Apple Watch Series 1. In both cases I have experience an inconsistent calorie count when working out. I know workouts vary, but I have relatively the same workout every morning - 70 minutes on the treadmill (60 minutes at 4.8 mph, and 10 minutes at 4.5 mph). For a long time my calorie burn was between 870-890. All of the sudden it has dropped to between 825-840. When I check the Fitness app on my phone I am walking the same pace (148spm) for the same amount of time and going the same distance (6.97 miles). This happened on the Series 1 and then got better with a subsequent update. It stayed steady for a few months and then dropped again. I have tried restarting the watch. On the Series 1 I deleted and the re pared the watch several times, but never with any change in results. I understand a calorie count is not spot on and a 20 calorie difference is no big deal, but when the difference is 70 or 80 calories for the same workout it makes me wonder whats going on. Any thoughts?

I get the exact same type of outcome - wildly inconsistent calories using the Workout App. And I have been able to identify one factor that is related, iPhone use. If I exercise while carrying my iPhone my active calories are calculated to be, on average, 30% lower than if I am not carrying my iPhone. I can replicate this outcome at will, having done so with my Series 4 watch and now my new Series 6 watch.

 

[sdz]

I get the exact same type of outcome - wildly inconsistent calories using the Workout App. And I have been able to identify one factor that is related, iPhone use. If I exercise while carrying my iPhone my active calories are calculated to be, on average, 30% lower than if I am not carrying my iPhone. I can replicate this outcome at will, having done so with my Series 4 watch and now my new Series 6 watch.

But what would be the reason for that?

 

[Seabreeeze]

I have no idea what the reason would be for that, but I can replicate the result at will. I have had the problem escalated in Apple's support process, and have been working on it (from my end, at least) for months. In my most recent communication from support I have been told that the newest operating system should have resolved the problem. I have tested that statement and found it to be incorrect, for me at least.