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Calories Burned CalculatorHow it works
The Calories Burned Calculator estimates energy expenditure for hundreds of activities — running, cycling, swimming, weightlifting, yoga, walking, and more — using MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values, body weight, and duration. MET values quantify the energy cost of activities relative to rest: a MET of 1.0 equals resting metabolism; a MET of 8.0 means the activity burns 8× resting metabolic rate.
How calories burned is calculated: Calories burned = MET × weight (kg) × duration (hours)
Example: a 70kg person running at 9.6 km/h (MET = 10.0) for 45 minutes: 10.0 × 70 × 0.75 hours = 525 kcal
MET values for common activities: - Walking 4km/h: 3.0 - Walking 6km/h: 4.5 - Running 8km/h: 8.3 - Running 12km/h: 11.8 - Cycling moderate (16–19 km/h): 8.0 - Swimming laps moderate: 6.0 - Yoga (Hatha): 3.0 - Hot yoga (Bikram): 5.0 - Weightlifting moderate effort: 3.5 - HIIT / circuit training: 8.0 - Basketball game: 8.0 - Soccer game: 10.0
Important caveat: the MET formula estimates gross calorie expenditure including basal metabolism during the activity. To get net additional calories burned (above resting), subtract basal metabolism for the same time period: BMR per hour × hours. The difference is typically 15–25% of the gross figure.
Individual variation: actual calories burned can differ from estimates by 20–30% based on fitness level, efficiency, and metabolic rate. Use estimates as a planning guide, not a precise measurement.
Privacy: all calculations run in the browser. No data is transmitted.
Frequently Asked Questions
- MET-based estimates are population averages with an individual error of approximately ±15–20%. The formula assumes uniform metabolic efficiency — but actual calorie burn varies based on fitness level (more efficient athletes burn fewer calories for the same pace), body composition (more muscle = higher resting and active metabolism), and movement economy (gait mechanics, technique). For practical purposes, use MET estimates as planning guides — if you find you're not losing weight at the calculated deficit, your actual burn may be 10–20% lower than estimated.
- Activities with the highest MET values (and therefore highest calorie burn per hour): vigorous rowing (12.5 MET), competitive swimming (10.0–13.8 MET depending on stroke and pace), running at 14–16 km/h (11.5–14.5 MET), cross-country skiing fast (9.0–14.0 MET), and competitive cycling (10.0–16.0 MET). For a 75kg person, 1 hour of vigorous rowing burns approximately 938 kcal; 1 hour of walking at 5 km/h burns approximately 281 kcal. HIIT workouts have high MET values (8.0–10.0) during work intervals but lower average METs due to rest periods.
- Yes, in two ways: (1) Higher muscle mass increases basal metabolic rate (each kg of muscle burns approximately 13 kcal/day at rest compared to 4.5 kcal/day for fat tissue); (2) Higher muscle mass increases bodyweight, which directly increases calorie burn during weight-bearing activities (running, walking, strength training) — the MET formula multiplies by bodyweight. A person with 10kg more muscle mass burns approximately 15–20% more calories during identical weight-bearing exercise than a same-height person with lower muscle mass.
- This depends on your goal. If fat loss is the goal: eating back all exercise calories often eliminates the calorie deficit and stalls progress — particularly because fitness trackers and MET estimates overestimate burn by 15–30%. A conservative approach: eat back 50% of estimated exercise calories, or build exercise into your TDEE calculation from the start (choose a higher activity multiplier) rather than adding exercise calories to a sedentary-based target. If maintenance or performance is the goal: eating back exercise calories supports recovery and training quality.