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Calculator Answers

Calories Burned Calculator

Source: Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. J Sport Health Sci. 2024;13(1):6-12 · Source verified August 15, 2026

Blake Boege
Written by Blake Boege · Founder, Calculator Answers

Energy expenditure during physical activity is determined by body mass, exercise duration, and the metabolic equivalent of task (MET), which quantifies the intensity of an activity relative to resting metabolism. A calories burned calculator estimates total energy expenditure by multiplying these factors. It features a library of common activities and exercise categories, alongside a custom MET input. Fitness enthusiasts and researchers use this tool to track energy expenditure, plan workout regimes, and balance caloric intake with daily physical activity.

Pick an activity, enter your body weight, and give either a duration or a distance and speed. The calculator applies the activity’s MET value and returns both gross energy and the energy above resting. Every preset is a 2024 Adult Compendium figure shown with its activity code, and a custom MET option covers anything not in the list.

See also: TDEE Calculator, VO2 Max Calculator, and Steps to Miles Calculator.

Quick Answer

Estimate the calories burned during physical activity. Select your exercise, enter your weight, and input the duration.

Activity

Unit

How long

min

About MET values

MET (metabolic equivalent) is the energy cost of an activity relative to rest. 1 MET = 3.5 mL O2/kg/min. Calories per minute = MET x 3.5 x body weight in kg / 200. Walking values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Every preset carries its Compendium activity code, and all of them are from that same 2024 edition.

Gross and net. That formula gives gross energy, which includes the resting energy your body would have used anyway over the same period. Subtracting one MET over that period leaves the net cost of the activity itself. Both are shown, because they are different numbers and are often quoted interchangeably.

An estimate. Compendium values are standardised reference figures compiled from the published literature, not readings taken from you; real energy cost varies with terrain, gait, load, fitness and individual physiology. Not a medical measurement.

Calories estimate

Calories burned (gross)

354 kcal

316 kcal above resting; 709 kcal/hour

ActivityRunning, 6 to 6.3 mph, 10 min/mile (code 12050)
MET9.3
Body weight72.6 kg
Duration30 min
Calories per hour709 kcal
Gross energy354 kcal
Above resting (net)316 kcal

For multi-activity workouts, run the calculator separately for each activity and add the calorie totals.

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Examples

140 lb walking 3.5 mph for 45 min

≈ 240 kcal gross, 190 kcal above resting

155 lb walking 3 miles at 3.5 mph

≈ 304 kcal gross, 240 kcal above resting

160 lb running 6 mph for 30 min

≈ 354 kcal gross, 316 kcal above resting

180 lb cycling moderate for 60 min

≈ 686 kcal gross, 600 kcal above resting

How it works

Formula · kcal per minute = MET × 3.5 × body mass in kg ÷ 200; net kcal subtracts one MET over the same period

MET-based calorie estimation comes from the Compendium of Physical Activities. The formula is straightforward.

Per minute · kcal/min = MET x 3.5 x kg / 200

Total · kcal = kcal/min x minutes

1 kg = 2.20462 lb; the calculator converts internally.

Walking: worked example

A 155 lb person walks 3 miles at 3.5 mph.

  • 155 lb = 70.31 kg
  • 3 miles ÷ 3.5 mph × 60 = 51.43 minutes
  • 3.5 mph sits in the 3.5 to 3.9 mph band, so MET = 4.8
  • 4.8 × 3.5 × 70.31 ÷ 200 = 5.91 kcal/min
  • 5.91 × 51.43 ≈ 304 kcal gross
  • resting over the same 51.43 min ≈ 63 kcal, so ≈ 240 kcal net

Distance and speed only fix the duration. The energy comes from the MET value for that speed band, so walking the same 3 miles more slowly takes longer but sits in a lower band, and the two effects partly cancel.

Assumptions and limitations

  • The Compendium provides standardised reference MET values compiled from the published literature. Some entries are measured and some are estimated, and none of them is a measurement of you. The 2024 Adult Compendium was compiled for adults aged 19 to 59.
  • Each MET value is tied to a speed band, so this method steps between bands rather than varying continuously with pace.
  • Level ground is assumed. Hills, soft surfaces and carrying a load all raise the real cost and none of them are modelled here.
  • The gross figure includes resting energy. If you are subtracting exercise from a daily target that already counts resting metabolism, the net figure avoids counting rest twice.
  • An estimate for general information, not a medical measurement.

Sources

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TDEE CalculatorEstimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure from sex, age, height, weight, and activity — with maintenance, cut, and bulk targets.VO2 Max CalculatorEstimate VO2 max from two published field tests: the Cooper 12-minute run and the Rockport 1-mile walk. Shows the equation used and the group of people it was developed in. A field-test estimate, not a laboratory measurement.Steps to Miles CalculatorConvert steps to miles and kilometers using your own measured step length. Optional time estimate at a chosen pace.

Frequently asked questions

Each activity carries a MET value, and calories per minute equal MET × 3.5 × body weight in kg / 200. Multiply by minutes for the total. MET values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, and each option shows its Compendium activity code so you can look it up.

MET (metabolic equivalent of task) is the energy cost of an activity relative to rest. 1 MET equals 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg per minute, which is roughly resting metabolic rate. In the 2024 Adult Compendium, walking at 3.5 to 3.9 mph is 4.8 MET and running at 6 to 6.3 mph is 9.3 MET. Every activity in the list comes from that same edition and shows its activity code.

It is an estimate, not a measurement. Two people of the same weight doing the same activity can burn noticeably different amounts, because the real cost depends on how hard you were actually working, the terrain, your gait or technique, anything you were carrying, and your own physiology. The Compendium value is a standardised reference figure, not a reading taken from you.

MET-based calculations rely on body weight and a known activity intensity, not on heart rate. Heart-rate-based estimates exist (Keytel formula and similar) and need age and resting/max HR; this page keeps the inputs simple.

Calories burned is one half of the energy balance equation. Combine with calories eaten (or with TDEE for daily totals) to plan changes. The calorie-deficit and TDEE calculators are the right tools for weight planning.

Gross includes the resting energy your body would have used anyway during that time. Net subtracts it, leaving the cost of the activity itself, and equals (MET − 1) × 3.5 × kg / 200 × minutes. This calculator shows both rather than picking one, because the same activity is quoted either way depending on the source. Most fitness trackers report gross.

Pick the walking speed that matches your pace, switch the duration control to By distance, and enter how far you went and how fast. The calculator converts that to minutes and applies the Compendium MET value for that speed. If you already know the minutes, use By time instead. Both routes run the same energy formula.

The whole activity table was carrying figures from the 2011 edition. The 2024 Adult Compendium revised many of them, and the table has been audited entry by entry against it. Walking at 3.5 to 3.9 mph moved from 4.3 to 4.8 MET and 4.0 to 4.4 mph from 5.0 to 5.5; running at 6 mph moved down from 9.8 to 9.3; swimming laps, yoga, rowing and stair work also changed. Where an old label matched no published row, the label was changed to the published one rather than the number being guessed at.