Energy expenditure for 30+ activities via the MET method (kcal = MET × kg × hours).
Updated
MET-based estimate carries about ±15–25% individual error. Body composition, fitness, terrain and environment all shift the real number.
Quick start
Pick an activity from the catalog, type your body weight and the duration. The calculator uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) method to estimate gross and net calories burned.
Switch between kilograms and pounds and type your current weight.
Choose from 35+ curated activities (running, cycling, walking, lifting, sports, daily) sourced from the Compendium of Physical Activities.
Type the duration in minutes or hours. The result updates live — gross calories plus net (above-resting) calories.
In-depth guide
The simplest reliable way to estimate energy expenditure for a given activity is the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) method. Pick the activity, plug in your weight, type how long you did it for, and read the kcal estimate. The MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard reference in exercise physiology.
1 MET is the energy cost of sitting quietly: about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour, equivalent to an oxygen uptake of 3.5 mL · kg⁻¹ · min⁻¹. Every other activity is expressed as a multiple of resting:
The formula is straightforward:
kcal ≈ MET · weight_kg · hours
Ainsworth et al. (1993) compiled the first Compendium of Physical Activities, mapping ~600 activity codes to measured oxygen-uptake-derived MET values. The compendium has been updated several times — 2000, 2011, and most recently the 2024 Adult Compendium (which separates adult, youth and older-adult tables). The activities in this calculator are a curated subset of ~35 entries covering the most-searched options (running, cycling, walking, lifting, swimming, everyday).
The full compendium has 800+ codes — if you're a coach or researcher, look up the precise activity code there rather than relying on a curated subset.
MET-based estimates carry roughly ±15–25% individual error. The values were averaged across measured populations, so your actual cost depends on:
For precision, use a chest-strap heart-rate monitor (HR-based estimates are more accurate than MET lookups), a cycling power meter (the gold standard for bike work), or DEXA-calibrated indirect calorimetry.
The kcal value this tool shows is gross — it includes the resting metabolic rate that you'd burn anyway during the same time window.
To get the extra calories burned because of the activity (often what fitness apps mean by "active calories"), subtract resting:
kcal_extra = (MET − 1) · kg · h
For a 70 kg person, an hour of 8-MET cycling: gross = 8 · 70 · 1 = 560 kcal; net = (8 − 1) · 70 = 490 kcal.
No. The calories-burned calculation runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, stored, or logged.
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is the multiplier above resting metabolic rate. 1 MET ≈ 1 kcal · kg⁻¹ · h⁻¹. So an activity worth 8 METs (e.g. moderate cycling) burns ~8 kcal per kg of body weight per hour. For a 70 kg person, an hour of 8-MET activity burns about 560 kcal.
The Compendium of Physical Activities, originally compiled by Ainsworth et al. (1993) and updated several times — most recently the 2024 Adult Compendium. It covers 800+ activity codes calibrated against measured oxygen uptake. We curated ~35 of the most commonly searched activities.
Population-level error of about ±15–25% for any individual. MET values were calibrated from group averages; your actual energy expenditure depends on body composition, training status, terrain, equipment and environmental conditions. Use the result as a planning estimate, not a precise count.
Yes — MET values include resting metabolism in the multiplier (1 MET = rest). To get the energy expenditure above resting (the 'extra' burned because of the activity), subtract 1 from the MET value: kcal_extra = (MET − 1) · kg · h. Most fitness contexts use the gross number we show.
The Compendium has dedicated rows for high-intensity interval and circuit training, and we include some. For your own intervals, average the work and rest portions weighted by time. A 20-minute HIIT session at average MET 9 = same kcal as 20 minutes at constant 9 METs.
Running engages large muscle groups continuously and the energy cost scales nearly linearly with speed. A 70 kg person running at 12 km/h (5:00/km pace, ~11.5 METs) burns ~800 kcal/hour. Walking at 5 km/h (3.5 METs) is about a quarter of that for the same hour.
The MET values shown are road-flat-to-rolling averages. Steep climbs raise the effective MET; long descents lower it. For precise tracking, a power meter or heart-rate-based device gives much better individual estimates than the lookup table.
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