How to use it
- Choose metric or US units and enter your body weight.
- Pick the activity that fits best, including the speed or effort in its name.
- Enter how many minutes you did it.
- Read the calories burned, the rate per hour and the energy in kilojoules.
How it works
The calculator uses the formula behind most calorie charts:
calories (kcal) = MET × weight (kg) × time (hours)
MET values come from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 43(8), 2011), a table that rates hundreds of activities by their energy cost. The list here is a selection of common ones. Pounds are converted exactly (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg) and 1 kcal = 4.184 kJ.
Worked example
A person who weighs 80 kg runs at 6 mph (about 9.7 km/h) for an hour. The Compendium rates this at 9.8 METs:
- 9.8 × 80 kg × 1 hour = 784 kcal
The same person in a 30-minute brisk walk (4.3 METs) burns 4.3 × 80 × 0.5 = 172 kcal.
Limits and tips
- MET values are averages. Body composition, fitness, terrain, wind and technique move the real number, and the 1 MET = 1 kcal/kg/h convention is itself an approximation.
- The total includes what your body would have burned at rest. To estimate the extra, use MET − 1.
- This is general information, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition or other health concern, ask a doctor before starting vigorous exercise.