Elliptical Trainer Vs Treadmill

Perhaps one of the most stubborn debates about fitness centers around the elliptical vs treadmill. Truthfully, both have their place – though I started this website after conducting research and decided that ellipticals were better for me. Objectively, let’s compare ellipticals to treadmills and you decide for yourself which is better for you.

That is the real key to ask yourself before you buy either machine: is an elliptical or treadmill best for your needs?

Only you can answer the question.

I’ll start by saying I prefer ellipticals due to lower back pain, shin splints when running, knee and hip pain. All of these discomforts occur when I run – but that’s not necessarily your problem, so your needs will have to ultimately answer the question.

Elliptical Vs Treadmill – Which Burns More Calories?

This is THE source of debate when deciding which is better: ellipticals or treadmills?

What feeds the debate is both a commercial interest of the parties involved (ask a treadmill salesman and an elliptical salesman – you’ll get different answers), as well as an ignorance of actual scientific method.

To settle the matter, a disinterested third party needs to be consulted.

It makes no sense to simply trust “how you feel” after a workout, nor “how hard you workout” on one machine versus another. A subjective perception of how hard one has worked out doesn’t objectively answer the question.

It may just mean the person is out of shape, or that they used a cheap elliptical trainer versus and expensive treadmill, etc.

Other factors complicate the answer to the question:

  • There is no proven, 100% accurate way to measure actual calories burned. It depends on a person’s metabolic rate and overall fitness.
  • The calorometers on either treadmills or ellipticals use mathematical equations and your heart rate – but the accuracy will depend on the brand, the design, etc.
  • How do you compare apples to apples? People are different. Features on treadmills and ellipticals are different: stride lengths, intensity levels, overall quality between brand A and brand B, etc.

There are many variables to consider.

The best way to test which is “better” at burning calories is to test a large group of varied individuals, and use elliptical machines vs treadmills that are comparable in intensity level, features, etc.

A sophisticated battery of research scientists would need to be involved – and preferrably not paid by either elliptical or treadmill manufacturers for obvious reasons.

Let me underscore this point, however: trusting the machines’ calorimeters can and should be questioned: such measurements are only a flat mathematical equation versus true bio-feedback.

Such devices can vary in accuracy, so if you hop on an elliptical and set it to burn 600 calories, and do the same on a treadmill – you cannot expect both devices to be equally accurate.

Tip: to test it yourself, buy a 3rd party calorie counter, like GoWear Fit or something from Polaris, for example.

Even then, you would need to note make and model to be sure that this brand and model of elliptical trainer versus that brand and model of treadmill, at such and such settings burns less or more calories (do you see the complications?).

A Definitive Elliptical vs Treadmill Study

There was a definitive study done by an exercise and nutritional physiologist professor at the Univ. of Missouri-Columbia, by the name of Thomas Altena in 2002.

This study measured the users’ oxygen retention, pulse, perceived rate of exertion and also their lactic acid levels.

Subjects were put on both elliptical trainers as well as treadmills. Altena had this concluding remark after considering the data from the study:

…physiological responses associated with elliptical exercise were nearly identical to treadmill exercise.

In other words – they’re pretty even. End of debate, right? Not quite. But he did go on to say,

[B]oth exercise machines are effective for increasing the amount of calories burned and for producing cardio respiratory health and training benefits…

Source: American Fitness, “Treadmills vs. Elliptical Trainers,” Jul/Aug2002, Vol. 20 Issue 4, p9.

Ellipticals are very comparable to treadmills considering calories burned, both are effective to use for fitness.

In several other studies, the elliptical machine is either lauded as being the better of the two because of suspicious claims to calories burned, or the numbers for treadmills are so blown out of proportion (clearly) that the study needs to be discounted.

The fact is this, objectively speaking: treadmills will burn slightly more calories than ellipticals in most cases.

The reason for this is that on elliptical machines, your body is fully supported by the machine. Less impact is placed on your joints, slightly less energy is needed to keep the machine’s momentum – but this isn’t a design flaw.

This is what elliptical machines were built for: to support the user during workouts and to deliver a low-impact workout.

Slightly less calories are burned, but it all really depends on the type of workout, upper body workout features of the elliptical in question, and intensity level used.

How To Increase Calories Burned for Both Machines

On treadmills, make sure you have a long enough “conveyor belt” to get a full stride length according to your height. Shorter belts will not allow you to stride along at full sprint.

Also use your arms vs. holding onto the handrails while running.

Finally, make use of the incline features and increase your intensity (or use interval training).

On ellipticals, to burn more calories you want to use ellipticals that offer a true upper and lower body workout. Our recommendations for the best ellipticals for home use are:

All of those ellipticals will offer you a true upper and lower body workout. We also reviewed the ElliptiGO but as it serves only the lower body, it wouldn’t quite offer the same level of intensity as those ellipticals in the list above.

Try to challenge yourself with high intensity workouts – rather than gliding along merrily.

Finally, try incorporating interval training on your elliptical machine, and use an “incline” if such a feature exists.

Overall, the difference is negligible in terms of which machine burns more calories, and it depends on what intensity levels are chosen, which brands are being compared, and the fitness level of the user.

If you have prior injuries which prevent running, or other conditions – then the elliptical machine will burn more calories.

Obviously if you cannot run (as was my case for a while), then you can’t burn any calories on the treadmill. It’s really this reason that makes elliptical machines stand apart from treadmills: the low-impact workout offers many more people the chance to exercise.

Both machines are fine for achieving fitness goals, burning calories and improving cardiovascular health.

Please don’t mistake this as “an admission that treadmills are superior.”

That’s not the case – but then again, it depends on the goals and needs of the individual. There are weighty considerations to both machines beyond calories burned.

Sources:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=301973

http://www.fitsugar.com/Elliptical-vs-Treadmill-1057363/results

Ellipticals Vs Treadmills – Which Machine Came First?

Treadmills were inspired by a former animal-powered engine used in ancient Roman times called a treadwheel. Essentially, treadwheels were used to operate early cranes, move water uphill and through acqueducts, and mill grain.

It was in the operation of milling grain that the name “treadmill” came to be. The historical use of treadmills (used to exercise human beings vs. accomplish work exclusively) extends to Victorian times where treadmills were used to help reform (punish) British prisoners, a practice attributed to Sr. Wm. Cubbitt – all the way back in 1817.

Ellipticals were developed rather recently, compared to treadmills: the early 1990′s. This is due to their advanced technology, and the pioneering work of Larry D. Miller.

After studying his own daughter running, Miller was able to come up with a design that formed the basis of the first Precor ellipticals. The design was patented in 2004, and it’s this motion that removes the joint stress common in running.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treadmill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliptical_trainer

Unlike treadmills – which were originally used to either perform hard manual labor or created as a Victorian-era torture device of sorts, elliptical trainers were designed to alleviate joint stress and keep the user’s body in an ergonomic position throughout the workout.

Benefits to Both Ellipticals and Treadmills

No matter which machine you use, generally speaking, both offer users the following benefits:

  • May help prevent cancer

  • Improve sex drive

  • Improve various nervous disorders

  • Help lower the risk of heart attacks/strokes

  • Prevent adult-onset diabetes

  • Lower risk of osteoporosis

  • Help to prevent hypertension (high blood pressure)

  • Fight effects of aging

  • Improve body’s muscle-fat Ratios

  • Build muscle

  • Improve mood

  • Help alleviate stress

  • Improve physical appearance

  • Build self-esteem

Regular exercise on either machine affords these benefits, so the question of which is better, elliptical vs treadmill is minor: both will benefit you in many ways.

When Treadmills are the Better Choice

If you are a marathon-runner and want to train for your next event, with the convenience of staying at home for example – then you should consider a treadmill. Otherwise, even runners can benefit (and many do) from cross-training on ellipticals during the “off-season” so to speak.

The less stress you can put on your joints, the better off your “mileage” will be.

Personally, I’ve seen many young people, 35 and under, getting knee replacement surgery, some have thrashed their ACL, developed “Runner’s Knee” or had various other injuries all due to running.
Runner's Knee
Putting less stress on these joints and tendons by using a cross-trainer is the genius behind elliptical training. But if you want the “feel” of running while training, then perhaps a treadmill would be better suited.

Why Ellipticals are Better Overall

This is my opinion, not a statement of fact – you still need to decide for yourself. But here are the main reasons I became interested in ellipticals vs treadmills (and started this site):

  • Low Impact Exercise = Lower Risk of Injury

  • Fewer Injuries = Prolonged Ability to Workout

  • Elliptical Trainers are Much Quieter than Treadmills (Use Them in Apartments With NO Complaints)

  • Upper Body Workout Shows Improved Upper Body Conditioning, Not Just Lower Body

  • Ability to Cross-Train During Off-Season (Without Injury)

  • No Pain Whatsoever (For Me) on Elliptical vs Treadmill

Mainly, the ability to prevent injury is why I went with an elliptical vs treadmill. I’ve jarred my joints enough in industrial working conditions (formerly as a carpenter), and arthritis runs in my family. So elliptical training is best-suited for my needs.

Concluding Thoughts on Ellipticals Vs Treadmills

The question shouldn’t be, “Which is better,” as both are fine pieces of equipment. The question is rather, “Which serves your needs better?”

If you are one of the lucky few who does not experience joint pain or has injured his or her knees, ankles or tendons due to years of running – then you can have the freedom to simply choose which you have room for in your home.

Prices are pretty comparable, and floor space is really a final thought to consider. Ellipticals fit into tighter spaces it seems, and take up less of a “footprint” than treadmills – but if you have low ceilings, then consider that before you buy an elliptical machine.

Treadmills are usually low to the ground, but ellipticals have a step-up. Most home elliptical machines will consider their overall user height, but be sure to consider this if you have mostly low ceilings in the room(s) you want to place your fitness equipment in.

In answering the question of which is better, the ellipticals or treadmills – I’ve come to the conclusion that ellipticals offer better design for the longevity of the user. Less strain on the body = more time working out and less time recovering.

But for all that, only you can answer if the elliptical vs treadmill is the way to go.

 

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