Exercise Calories Calculator (METs)

Understanding the exercise calories (MET) calculator — concept and principle

This calculator estimates how many kilocalories an activity burns from its MET value, your body weight and the duration. People use it to compare workouts, plan an energy budget or check the number shown by a fitness watch.

An 8-MET ride burns eight times resting energy — 473 kcal in 45 minutes at 75 kg.

How it is calculated

kcal per minute = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200.
Calories burned = kcal per minute × minutes.
Per hour = kcal per minute × 60.

The MET values in the list come from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, for example walking 5 km/h = 3.5, cycling 19–22 km/h = 8.0, running 9.7 km/h = 9.8 and jump rope = 12.3.

The principle

One MET (metabolic equivalent) is defined as the energy cost of sitting quietly, conventionally 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute. An activity of 8 MET uses eight times that. Multiplying MET × 3.5 × weight gives oxygen use in mL per minute. Burning food with about 1 litre of oxygen releases close to 5 kcal, so dividing mL by 1,000 and multiplying by 5 is the same as dividing by 200. That is where the "÷ 200" comes from. The result is a gross figure: it includes the energy you would have burned anyway at rest.

Worked example

Inputs: weight 75 kg, cycling 19–22 km/h (8.0 MET), 45 minutes.
kcal per minute = 8 × 3.5 × 75 ÷ 200 = 10.5 kcal.
Calories burned = 10.5 × 45 = 472.5, shown as 473 kcal.
Per hour = 10.5 × 60 = 630 kcal.

Each point is the calculator re-run with only “Weight (kg)” changed; the gold point is the default example. Change the inputs above and this chart follows your numbers.

Weight (kg)	Calories burned
18.8	118
37.5	236
56.2	354
75	473
93.8	591
112	709
150	945

How to read the result

Activities of 3–6 MET are considered moderate intensity and those above 6 MET vigorous. Public health guidelines from the WHO recommend 150–300 minutes of moderate or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity per week for adults. To get the extra energy over resting, subtract about 1 MET: here (8 − 1) × 3.5 × 75 ÷ 200 × 45 ≈ 413 kcal. Use the numbers to compare options rather than to "earn" food precisely.

Common mistakes

Choosing a MET value that does not match the real intensity; easy cycling is far below 8 MET.
Counting rest breaks inside the session as active minutes.
Adding the full gross figure on top of a TDEE, which double-counts resting energy.

Keep in mind: The 1 MET = 3.5 mL/kg/min standard overestimates resting energy for many people, especially those with more body fat or older adults, so results can be 10–20% too high. Treat them as estimates, not medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a heavier person burn more for the same activity?

Moving more mass takes more work, so the formula scales linearly with body weight.

Are fitness-watch calories more accurate?

Watches add heart-rate data, but studies show their energy estimates can still be off by a large margin. Both are approximations.

Does fitness change the result?

At a fixed speed, a fitter person uses slightly less energy, but the main effect is that they can work at higher MET for longer.

Sources: Ainsworth BE et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2011. · World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020).

Checked 8 Nov 2026. Ainsworth et al., Compendium of Physical Activities (2011).

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