How many calories does a round of golf burn?

[GeneralStore]

Maybe, maybe not. The research is showing its not as simple as weight or build or fat content or whatever. That's partly why things like BMI are being looked on so skeptically as a measure these days. Two people with the same height and weight might have quite different metabolic rates. Equally a small and large person could be the same.

So here's a thought. It's currently impossible to predict where a person falls on the metabolic spectrum. It's science fiction territory but if someone cracks that problem it would transform human existence. No diets, no obesity, no hunger, no starving children, no food poverty... Or maybe it'll just start another war.

Jimaroid, thats very interesting. 2 questions for you:
1) What are your thoughts on claims by activity tracking products such as Jawbone UP3 (about to be released) that claim to measure resting heart rate and active heart rate and being able to therefore calculate metabolic rate and how many calories are being used? Do you think thats a bogus claim?
2) I am extremely curious as to why you believe that discovering somebodies metabolic rate would eliminate hunger, starvation etc...?

 

[MendieGK]

The real answer to this question is "it depends".

I've been involved in making some health tracking software in the past and like nearly all of the GPS/Phone Apps it's a formulaic estimate based on data published in the "Compendium of Physical Activities" which gives us a table of activities and their energy costs. You can learn all about that starting here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_equivalent

The physical activities compendium tells us that golf(carrying clubs) uses 4.3 MET where 1 MET = 1kcal/kg/hour. Which means for me, weighing 56Kg, I use approximately 268.8 calories per hour playing golf. That tells me a 3.5 hour round of golf uses 843 calories.

The problem with that answer is that it's wrong. It's an estimate based on old and somewhat flawed scientific study. Studies that have been done in the last 10 years or so have shown that the energy consumption between individuals can vary by as much as 76%. The original value of 1MET was created from a sample of just one man!

The differences between individuals and their energy consumption can be huge. Together with the very wide range of physiological and external factors at play (different heights, age, weight, fitness, environmental conditions etc.) mean that the estimates being created aren't all that good. More recent science suggests that the compendium values are likely to be 20-30% over-estimated. So for me, a 3.5 hour of golf might use between 590 and 843 calories.

Basically, estimating calorie expenditure is full of inaccuracies and the only way to be sure about how much one person consumes is to use some very expensive (and not portable) lab equipment. I should also point out that the compendium above can be corrected if you know your resting metabolic rate to give more accurate results but that also needs lab equipment.

You weigh 8.5 stone?? assuming you are female?

 

[Jimaroid]

1) What are your thoughts on claims by activity tracking products such as Jawbone UP3 (about to be released) that claim to measure resting heart rate and active heart rate and being able to therefore calculate metabolic rate and how many calories are being used? Do you think thats a bogus claim?

It's not bogus but it's worth understanding that it has the same type of issues. What it's doing is comparing your heart rate with data that's been determined by measuring a group of other people. The data is more accurate (by virtue of it being more modern research) but it's not measuring you directly, it's just comparing your heart rate to a set of observed averages from others and coming up with an estimate. Yes, it's more accurate but it's still not an exact measure of your individual performance.

2) I am extremely curious as to why you believe that discovering somebodies metabolic rate would eliminate hunger, starvation etc...?

It's a jigsaw piece but a significant part of the bigger puzzle of fully understanding the biological processes in the body. Specifically, how food energy is absorbed, stored and converted for use. That process is poorly understood at the moment - it's a complex one - but if we knew exactly how that worked to allow the body to thrive it would radically change our lives. Dieting, obesity, starvation, etc., they could all be wiped out if we knew how to precisely manage our energy intake.

 

[Jimaroid]

You weigh 8.5 stone?? assuming you are female?

56Kg is closer to 9 stone. Male, very lean, 5'6" tall.

Suddenly this feels like a dating site?

 

[RayR51]

I use a MyZone heart rate monitor when I'm at the gym and have used it several times on the golf course. It takes into account my age, height, weight, BMR, muscle mass, body fat/water content, heart rate and more in calculating calories burned. My average heart rate is usually just over 100 when playing and 60 odd at rest. A four and a half hour round showed that I'd burned 2325 calories, a three and a half hour round showed about 1800 hundred. My understanding is that these monitors are the most accurate in calculating calories burned.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I use a MyZone heart rate monitor when I'm at the gym and have used it several times on the golf course. It takes into account my age, height, weight, BMR, muscle mass, body fat/water content, heart rate and more in calculating calories burned. My average heart rate is usually just over 100 when playing and 60 odd at rest. A four and a half hour round showed that I'd burned 2325 calories, a three and a half hour round showed about 1800 hundred. My understanding is that these monitors are the most accurate in calculating calories burned.

Again I don't see what this is proving. Are we saying (and excuse the ignorance) that all these calories being burned is proof golf is a way to lose weight? I don't buy that for a second and apart from the exercise walking around the course exacerbated by bunker raking, picking the flag up and taking my shot, it's hardly at the height of cardiovascular fitness.

 

[RayR51]

Again I don't see what this is proving. Are we saying (and excuse the ignorance) that all these calories being burned is proof golf is a way to lose weight? I don't buy that for a second and apart from the exercise walking around the course exacerbated by bunker raking, picking the flag up and taking my shot, it's hardly at the height of cardiovascular fitness.

I'm not saying that at all; there's more to losing weight than just burning calories. I often see golfers eating a big fry-up and downing pints at the club. It's like the adverts for slimming meal replacements and zero calorie drinks state - it can only help as part of a calorie controlled diet. I doubt anyone takes up golf to lose weight; there are far more effective ways of doing that.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm not saying that at all; there's more to losing weight than just burning calories. I often see golfers eating a big fry-up and downing pints at the club. It's like the adverts for slimming meal replacements and zero calorie drinks state - it can only help as part of a calorie controlled diet. I doubt anyone takes up golf to lose weight; there are far more effective ways of doing that.

I just don't see the fascination with how many calories are being used and why you'd take kit out to measure that unless it was being used as some sort of fitness/diet regime. As I said elsewhere on here, I've enough going on worrying about finding my ball after the next shot

 

[RayR51]

I just don't see the fascination with how many calories are being used and why you'd take kit out to measure that unless it was being used as some sort of fitness/diet regime. As I said elsewhere on here, I've enough going on worrying about finding my ball after the next shot

That's exactly why I took it out. I do weight training and HIIT classes and record data on MyFitnessPal. Like many here, I was sceptical about the number of calories that people were stating you can lose playing golf so wore it several times to see. Now that I know roughly what calories are being burned, I no longer wear it when playing. A lot of people on here were guessing so I simply posted to show what these monitors are calculating in case anyone found it helpful.

 

[Jimaroid]

My average heart rate is usually just over 100 when playing and 60 odd at rest. A four and a half hour round showed that I'd burned 2325 calories, a three and a half hour round showed about 1800 hundred.

If you don't mind, what do you weigh?
Interesting to compare as that seems a little high, so I'm guessing with weight training you're much bigger built than me

 

[RayR51]

If you don't mind, what do you weigh?
Interesting to compare as that seems a little high, so I'm guessing with weight training you're much bigger built than me

I'm 5 foot 9 and weigh 84 kg which would be considered overweight but muscle mass is on the higher side according to the read-outs. I do walk quite quickly between shots which helps to elevate the heart rate but it comes down very quickly at rest.

 

[Jimaroid]

Thanks, just curious. To put it in perspective, 2325 calories is a 25km run for me. Just goes to show how the numbers can vary so much and why it's difficult to apply what one happens with one person to another.

 

[GeneralStore]

Thanks for the answer Jimaroid. Very interesting, didn't know that's how they worked. I would have thought they would have to disclose this more openly in their marketing

 

[Fish]

:smirk: