How Does Fitbit Calculate Calories Burned? (Know Everything)

Fitbit is a popular wearable device that tracks various health metrics such as steps taken, distance traveled, heart rate, and calories burned. The device calculates the number of calories burned by the user based on various factors such as age, gender, weight, height, and activity level.

Here, we will explore How Does Fitbit Calculate Calories Burned in detail. So you should be reading this article for complete information.

How Does Fitbit Calculate Calories Burned?

If you are interested in knowing about the factors that help Fitbit watch to calculate calories burned then you have come to the right place. Here, we’ve shared detailed information.

Factors that Affect Calorie Burn

Before we dive into how Fitbit calculates calorie burn, let’s understand the factors that affect calorie burn. The number of calories burned by an individual depends on several factors such as:

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – BMR is the number of calories that your body burns at rest to carry out essential functions such as breathing, circulation, and maintaining body temperature.
• Activity Level – The amount of calories burned by an individual depends on their activity level. A sedentary lifestyle burns fewer calories than an active one.
• Age – As we age, our BMR decreases, leading to a decrease in calorie burn.
• Gender – Men generally burn more calories than women due to their higher muscle mass.
• Weight – A heavier individual burns more calories than a lighter individual.
• Height – Taller individuals generally burn more calories than shorter individuals.

How Fitbit Calculates Calories Burned

Fitbit uses a proprietary algorithm to calculate the number of calories burned by an individual. The algorithm takes into account several factors such as age, gender, weight, height, and activity level.

Fitbit uses the following steps to calculate the number of calories burned by an individual –

Activity Level Calculation

Fitbit tracks the user’s activity level throughout the day using sensors such as an accelerometer and gyroscope. The device uses this data to calculate the number of calories burned during various activities such as walking, running, and climbing stairs.

Fitbit also allows users to log their workouts manually, which helps the device to calculate the number of calories burned during the activity accurately.

Total Calorie Burn Calculation

Fitbit calculates the total number of calories burned by adding the BMR and the number of calories burned during the activity. Fitbit also takes into account the number of calories burned during sleep, which is calculated using the BMR.

Limitations of Fitbit’s Calorie Burn Calculation

While Fitbit’s calorie burn calculation is generally accurate, there are a few limitations to the algorithm.

• Inaccurate Heart Rate Monitoring – Fitbit’s calorie burn calculation is heavily dependent on accurate heart rate monitoring. However, factors such as poor device placement or low battery can lead to inaccurate heart rate readings, leading to an inaccurate calorie burn calculation.
• Limited Activity Tracking – Fitbit’s calorie burn calculation is based on the activity tracked by the device. Activities such as weightlifting or swimming may not be accurately tracked by the device, leading to an inaccurate calorie burn calculation.
• Individual Variations – While Fitbit’s algorithm takes into account various factors such as age, gender, weight, and height, individual variations such as genetics and health conditions can affect the accuracy of the calorie burn calculation.

Wrapping Up

This article is all about How Does Fitbit Calculate Calories Burned. I hope this article was helpful to you. If you have any queries then you can ask in the comment box. We’ll answer all your questions.

You may read more about Connect Fitbit with Mobile, Factory Reset Fitbit Smartwatch, How to Reset Fitbit. Apart from all these, you can get all your health data in your Fitbit App

FAQ’s How Does Fitbit Calculate Calories Burned