Are the distance readings on treadmills accurate?

Question

i remember a while ago i came across a short caption in a fitness magazine saying that treadmills lie on distance readings (the actual distance u ran is up to 10% less than the distance the treadmill says u ran). it wasnt an article so there was no additional information. im not so sure i believe what the magazine says. what do you guys think? thanks

Answer 1

There are different factors on treadmill. If it is out of alignment, it could give false reading. Also, running on treadmill is easier due to no wind resistance. Also, it depends how you run, if you jump or stretch your stride, you are working less hard. So, it will be off anyway, the reading basically just give you a reference number (relative).

Answer 2

If you calibrate it right, it' really quite accurate.  10% would be a very noticeable difference particularly if you run a 10 minute mile.

There are some fudge factors though...if you lean on the handles alot you could find you are lifting your body on occasion as the treadmill continues to go by below you, in cases like that, yes you aren't running as far as they read.

Personally, I find I cover 10miles on the ground in less time than I do on the treadmill even though I am trying to go the same pace.

If you want to check your treadmill speed, check the link below:

Or just message me with the make and model and I'll tell you how to calibrate it.

Answer 3

They are not considered very accurate.

They are rarely calibrated correctly, and never calibrated individually.  The belt may expand or contract with temp/wear, which will throw it off even more.  

You are better off going by time and how fast you feel you are running.

Answer 4

Since there are a lot of scientific evaluations that are done on treadmills, it is safe to consider that the distance reading is correct.  Thinking about it logically, the odometer is just reading the belt which is of a certain length.  It would be the same as putting your car up on blocks; the odometer would be correct even though the physical distance did not change.

Now, I can say that treadmills that give you a calories burned based on speed can vary to that 10% or more.  This is going to be based on many factors of the individuals and I would base this as a guideline and nothing more.  If you use the same treadmill, then you can do some trend analysis as far as how many calories you burned.  Say it shows that you burned 400 today and 300 yesterday.  Today's workout burned a third more calories so it was more difficult either because you bumped up speed, distance, elavation or combo.  But say you used home treadmill and then went to the gym, this can vastly change.  You also need to look at how good a treadmill is to.  If you have a low end treadmill, this may not be as accurate as a more name brand one.

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

I can believe that, I would think that the distance you run is also a factor of the size of your stride.  Since the belt moves at a set rate over a set distance.  You may not actually cover the same distance depending on the size of your stride.

My Guess anyway.

Harry

Answer 6

to be honest i wonder the same thing...tell me when you find out!!!!