How Accurate Is Samsung Health Calories Burned

Are you a Samsung Health user concerned about the accuracy of the calories burned feature? If yes, you’re not alone. Many people rely on Samsung Health to track their daily physical activities, but the accuracy of the calorie burned feature remains of significant concern.

Samsung Health’s calories burned is not so accurate. The app’s calorie results can warp your actual energy expenditure by less than 40% to 80%. However, it is sufficient to give you an idea of whether to increase or reduce your calorie intake.

In this article, we’ll explore how accurate is Samsung Health’s calories burned. I will provide you with the latest research on this topic and give you tips on how to improve its accuracy. So, let’s dive in and find out if the Samsung Health calories burned feature is accurate.

Related reading: How Accurate is Samsung Health Sleep?

How Does Samsung Health Measure Calories?

When you exercise, your body requires energy to fuel your movements. This energy comes from the food you eat. The energy is released in your body through metabolism. Samsung Health measures the amount of oxygen you consume and the amount of carbon dioxide you produce during exercise to estimate the number of calories you burn.

But how exactly does Samsung Health measure calories?

The app uses your personal information, activity data, and food intake to estimate the number of calories you have burned throughout the day. 

• Personal information: Samsung Health measures the calories you burn using some of your personal information, like age, height, weight, and gender. It uses the data to calculate your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn at rest. This helps to estimate how many calories you burn during the day. 
• Activity data: The app also uses activity data to estimate how many calories you burn. Samsung Health tracks your physical activities throughout the day using a smartphone or wearable sensors. It takes your walking, jogging, and running data and your personal information to estimate the calories you’ve burned during each activity.
• Food intake: You can log your meals and snacks in the app to get a more accurate estimate of your net calorie intake. Samsung Health has a database of foods and their calorie counts, so you can effortlessly search and log what you eat. Scan barcodes and automatically log nutritional information using your phone’s camera. 
• Wearable sensors: The app uses your smartphone or smartwatch sensors to estimate the calories you burn during physical activity. These sensors can track your movement, heart rate, and the parameters mentioned above. 
• Samsung Health algorithms: These algorithms use data from your smartwatch sensors, such as the heart rate monitor and accelerometer, to estimate the number of calories you burn. The algorithms consider personal information to estimate oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and energy expenditure.

However, it’s important to note that Samsung Health’s calorie tracking accuracy depends on several factors, which I will discuss shortly. First, let’s set this straight.

What is Samsung Health’s Calorie Burned Accuracy?

Samsung Health’s calorie tracking isn’t always accurate. The app’s calorie results can be off by anywhere from 40% to 80% of your actual energy expenditure. However, that doesn’t mean that Samsung Health is entirely useless for tracking your fitness goals. 

While the app may not give you an exact number of calories burned, it can still give you a general idea of how much energy you’ve expended. The information can help determine whether you need to increase or decrease your calorie intake to reach your fitness goals.

A team of researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine found that smartwatches accurately measure heart rate. If your device is measuring your heart rate through Samsung Health, it’s probably doing a good job. 

However, Samsung Health may need to be more accurate regarding calories burned. I recommend using the app’s calorie tracking as a general guide rather than an exact measurement of your energy expenditure. Below are some factors that might impact the calories burned data.

Factors Affecting Calorie Burned Accuracy in Samsung Health

These factors can affect the accuracy of Samsung Health’s calorie tracking feature;

• Age: Your age affects your metabolism, and Samsung Health may not accurately account for this. Older individuals may burn fewer calories at rest than younger people due to a slower metabolism, so the app’s calculations may be off.
• Weight: Your weight also plays a crucial role in how many calories you burn. The app estimates calorie burn based on the weight you’ve entered, so if it’s inaccurate, your calorie burn calculations will also be inaccurate.
• Gender: Men and women have different body compositions, and Samsung Health may not account for these differences when calculating calorie burn. Men typically have more muscle mass and burn more calories at rest than women.
• Activity level: The more active you are, the more calories you burn. However, the app may only accurately track some types of activity, such as weightlifting or swimming. Therefore, it may underestimate or overestimate calorie burn.
• Heart rate variability: Samsung Health uses the accuracy of these estimates. The app may not accurately estimate your calorie burn if your heart rate varies significantly.
• Other factors: Other factors affecting calorie burn accuracy in Samsung Health include hydration, diet, sleep quality, and overall health. These factors can impact your metabolism and how many calories you burn at rest.

Tips for Improving Samsung Health’s Calorie Tracking Accuracy

Here are some tips:

1. Input accurate data

Enter your age, weight, height, and gender into the app. These factors can significantly impact the accuracy of your calorie tracking results. When setting up the app, double-check all the information you enter to ensure they are correct.

2. Wear your smartwatch correctly

Ensure the watch is snugly fitted around your wrist, and the sensor is in contact with your skin. Wearing it too loosely or tightly can affect the accuracy of the readings. Also, ensure the watch is worn on the non-dominant wrist to reduce interference with arm movement. 

3. Set realistic goals

Setting your calorie goals too high can be discouraging when you can’t meet them, leading to inaccurate data. Therefore, start small and gradually increase your goals as you get fitter. If you take 3,000 steps daily, increase it to 5,000 steps per day and then 7,000. 

4. Track your food intake

Accurate calorie tracking requires inputting correct and complete data about your food, including serving sizes and ingredients. With Samsung Health’s food tracking feature, you can easily monitor your intake, which leads to more precise calorie burn estimates. 

5. Maintain consistent tracking habits

It’s easy to forget or skip tracking your calories, but making it a routine can help you achieve your health goals with Samsung Health. Log your exercise and food intake regularly, at the same time each day. Also, keep your smartwatch or phone charged and with you throughout the day.

Conclusion

Samsung Health’s calorie results can warp your actual energy expenditure by less than 40% to 80%. Although it may not be 100% accurate, it can still provide you with valuable information about your fitness goals.

Remember, the accuracy of your calorie tracking is only as good as the data you put into it. Besides, maintaining consistent tracking habits can ensure that Samsung Health’s calorie tracking is as accurate as possible. 

Do you have any questions regarding the accuracy of Samsung Health’s calorie tracking feature? Feel free to ask in the comments below.