Calories Burned Calculator

Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × time (hours), since 1 MET ≈ 1 kcal per kg per hour. Each activity carries a MET value from the Compendium of Physical Activities.

Ainsworth BE et al. (2011) Compendium of Physical Activities.

±15–20%. MET values are population averages; your fitness, technique, terrain, and effort all shift the real number. Best for comparing activities, not exact counting.

Precise medical or clinical energy accounting — use indirect calorimetry or a validated device. Estimates run high, so don't eat back every calculated calorie.

From METs — a measure of an activity's intensity relative to rest. One MET is roughly one calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour, so calories burned = MET × your weight (kg) × time (hours).

A MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) rates how hard an activity is. Sitting is 1 MET; a brisk walk is about 4; running is around 10. Higher MET means more calories burned per minute at the same body weight.

Within about 15–20%. MET values are population averages, so your real burn shifts with fitness, technique, terrain, and effort. Use the number to compare activities and track trends, not as an exact count.

Yes — heavier bodies burn more for the same activity because moving more mass takes more energy. That's why this calculator uses your body weight rather than a fixed figure.

Be cautious. Because estimates run high, eating back every calculated calorie can erase a deficit. If you're tracking, replace only a portion, and let your weekly weight trend be the final judge.

It's the gross calories for the time spent active, which includes the small amount you'd have burned at rest anyway. For most purposes that difference is minor next to the method's overall margin of error.