Calories Burned Calculator
Pick an activity, type your body weight and how long you trained. The calculator returns total kcal burned plus per-hour and per-minute rates using MET values from the published Compendium of Physical Activities.
Calories burned (kcal)
300
- MET value
- 8
- Rate (kcal/hour)
- 600
- Rate (kcal/minute)
- 10
Energy expenditure is estimated as kcal ≈ MET × body-weight(kg) × hours, using MET values from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. MET ratings are healthy-adult averages, so individual burn can swing roughly ±15% with fitness, terrain, and effort. Educational estimate — not a medical or weight-loss prescription.
How to use this calculator
Choose the activity closest to what you did, type your body weight in kilograms, then how long you exercised in minutes. The result is the estimated total calories burned; the breakdown also shows the MET value used and your per-hour and per-minute burn rate so you can scale to other sessions.
How the calculation works
Every activity carries a MET value (metabolic equivalent of task) — 1 MET is the energy a body uses sitting at rest. Walking briskly is roughly 3.8 MET, running at 8 km/h is 8.0 MET, vigorous swimming is 9.8 MET. The conversion formula is kcal ≈ MET × body-weight(kg) × duration(hours). All MET ratings come from Ainsworth et al.’s 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, the reference list used in public-health research worldwide.
Worked example
An 80 kg runner training at 8 km/h (MET 8.0) for 30 minutes: 8.0 × 80 × 0.5 = 320 kcal burned. The same runner cycling at 16-19 km/h (MET 6.8) for a 60-minute commute burns 6.8 × 80 × 1 = 544 kcal — about a Big Mac’s worth of energy.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the MET-based formula?
It is the standard formula used by ACSM, NHS Choices and most fitness wearables, but it is an estimate. Compendium MET values are averages from lab studies on healthy adults; real-world burn varies with terrain, weather, technique, body composition and training age. Treat the number as ±10-15% rather than a precise count, and re-weigh weekly if you are using it to manage body weight.
Why does the same workout burn more for heavier people?
MET expresses energy cost per kilogram of body weight per hour. Heavier bodies move more mass against gravity, so they need more fuel for the same speed or load. That is why two runners side by side at the same pace can burn very different totals — the formula multiplies by your weight directly.
Should I include my BMR in the result?
No. The number shown is gross calories — it already includes the resting metabolic rate you would have burned just by being alive during the session. To get the activity-only "extra" burn, subtract your per-minute BMR (typically 1.0-1.3 kcal/min) multiplied by duration. For weight-loss tracking the gross figure is what fitness apps and food trackers use.
Why are gym machines reading a different number?
Commercial cardio machines vary widely. Many estimate by power output (watts) rather than MET tables, and a lot of them deliberately over-report by 10-30% to make users feel productive. Heart-rate-based estimates (Polar, Garmin) are usually closer to the MET formula but still differ between brands. The Compendium-based number is the conservative, peer-reviewed baseline.
Does the calculator handle intervals or mixed sessions?
Not directly — pick the activity that dominated, or split the session and run the calculator twice. For something like a 45-minute football game with 15 minutes walking and 30 minutes of sprints, run "Soccer / football" for 30 minutes and "Walking, brisk" for 15 and add the totals.
How many calories do I need to burn to lose 1 lb of fat?
A pound of body fat stores roughly 3,500 kcal of usable energy, so a daily 500 kcal deficit (eat less + move more) averages about 1 lb of fat loss per week. Exercise alone rarely creates that deficit — a 70 kg person needs ~70 minutes of running at 8 km/h to burn 500 kcal. Diet does the heavy lifting; exercise protects muscle mass.