Please Add Calories to TCX files (Completed)

As Apple Watch user, I’m interested in completing my daily activity rings. For that, I’m using RunGap on the iPhone to sync TrainerDay activities between Strava and Apple Health.

I thought that I can now use the exported file on Dropbox, but there is no calorie-information in the exported file and Apple Health doesn’t calculate the calories itself. It seems, that I still have to use Strava to calculate the calories or would it be possible to include calories in the TCX file?

It’s interesting, I have never paid much attention to calories (maybe I need to :slight_smile: )… but I realize the European endurance world actually has more of a calorie basis on training even. Calories instead of TSS let’s say… I moved this to a new feature request. Seems pretty easy and reasonable although I don’t know how to calculate calories yet…

It’s just, that you have a daily calorie goal on Apple Watch :wink:

And for calculation: How to Convert Watts to Calories Burned While Cycling — Gear & Grit

Strava will always give you some bonus calories :smiley: Today’s activity would be 730 kcal with the formula of the web-page, TP gives me 734 kcal (pretty close) and Strava calculates 818 kcal.

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Oh yes, I forgot that it calories and watts are a 100% mathematical relationship that makes it really easy assuming TCX files support calories but quick google search shows it seems to.

Is this something, you’re planning to add to the tcx or fit-files?
I’m using HealthFit to get my TD-workouts to Apple Health App, but I can’t use the files from TD because they don’t include calories (and you need calories to close your rings :wink: ). As a workaround I download the file from Strava, but It would really be great, if I didn’t have to use Strava anymore.

Ok this appears to be very easy. I put it on the list but right now the “urgent” list is fairly long so it might take a little while but it is there :slight_smile:

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That‘s Ok for me :slight_smile:

Calories is not 100% mathematical unless you are getting confused with KJ.

Robert I would love to hear more. This is the first time I have heard this. Even google thinks determining calories from kilojoules is easy and determining kJ from watts is easy… If you know more I would love to understand.

I think that he‘s referring to the fact, that you have to estimate the individual gross metabolic efficiency and it‘s not 100% accurate for everyone.

But I think everything is explained in this blog entry: kJ to Calories Conversion: How many calories do I burn cycling?

And I could live with a little inaccuracy :wink:

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As @Postmeister says.

I display KJ on my Garmin and use it 1:1 for calorie estimation during a ride. I can live with that level of accuracy.

@Alex Please don’t use the ratio above for your calorie estimation… we’ll all end up having to work 4x as much if so!! :wink:

Oh, thanks for pointing this out. We had not started this work and as you can see obviously I know very little about calories :slight_smile: You saved everyone some serious effort here to meeting their calorie targets :slight_smile: . So I will research a little more but this 1:1 sounds reasonable to me…

Oh I realize this is probably already done now using the wrong calclation… I just asked my developer to fix it.

This was done for a while and my developer actually used the right formula without my advice :slight_smile: Unlike me he actually did research on the calculation.

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Is it complicated to have an option for which information to export? Different platforms use different efficiency assumptions (kj=kcal assumes 23.9% efficiency; Garmin and Strava use slightly different assumptions for their conversions). I’d prefer to simply export kjs and let Garmin do the conversion so I can coordinate nutrition for TrainerDay rides just the same as for outdoor rides recorded on my head unit.

I’d also like the option not to export distance/speed since I believe the route planner factors those into ride time estimates and I’m never as aero as your formula implies… :smile:

So you are saying you would prefer there to be no calories in the TCX file and that way Garmin/Strava calculate it? Just making sure I understand.

Also you can adjust our speed and distance so it’s no so aero if you want. Go to rider settings on the web site. See below. You also can use TCX from inside the app which does not have calories or speed and distance.

Is it possible to export to Strava/others without any speed/distance?

The only way right now is by turning off the automated > strava and downloading the TCX inside the app and loading it to Strava or others.

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A post was split to a new topic: Allow custom calorie conversion