# How many calories burned?

Estimates the calories burned in an exercise or activity from its MET value in the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, body weight and minutes.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/health/calories-burned-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/health/calories-burned-calculator.json
- Version: 52662ff384cd

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Activity Running, 6 to 6.3 mph (10 min/mile), Weight 160 lb, Minutes 30): 30 minutes of this activity at 160 lb burns about 354 calories.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| activity | Activity | The exercise or activity, which sets its MET value. |
| weight | Weight | Your body weight. |
| min | Minutes | How long you do the activity, in minutes. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| calories | Calories burned | Total kilocalories burned, including what the body burns at rest. |
| net | Above resting | Kilocalories beyond what you would burn resting for the same time: (MET − 1) of the total. |
| perHour | Calories per hour | Kilocalories burned per hour of the activity at this weight. |
| met | MET value | The Compendium’s energy cost of the activity as a multiple of the resting rate. |

## Method

Calories = MET × 3.5 × weight in kg ÷ 200 × minutes (2024 Adult Compendium unit conversions).

## Assumptions

- MET values are the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities values for adults aged 19 to 59.
- One MET is 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg per minute, and a litre of oxygen is 5 kcal, so kcal per minute = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200.
- The result is an average for the activity; fitness, effort, age and body make-up change the real number.

## Worked examples

1. activity = 12050, weight = 72.574779, min = 30 gives calories = 354.346359, net = 316.2446, perHour = 708.692719, met = 9.3. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium (Herrmann and others, 2024), code 12050, 9.3 MET.
2. activity = 18240, weight = 70, min = 45 gives calories = 319.725, net = 264.6, met = 5.8. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium (Herrmann and others, 2024), code 18240, 5.8 MET.
3. activity = 02150, weight = 60, min = 60 gives calories = 144.9, net = 81.9, perHour = 144.9. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium (Herrmann and others, 2024), code 02150, 2.3 MET.
4. activity = 07021, weight = 80, min = 60 gives calories = 84, net = 0, met = 1. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium (Herrmann and others, 2024), code 07021, 1.0 MET.

## FAQ

### How are calories burned calculated?

Each activity has a MET value: how many times more energy it takes than sitting quietly. Calories per minute = MET × 3.5 × your weight in kg ÷ 200. For example, running at 6 mph (9.3 MET) for 30 minutes at 160 lb (72.6 kg): 9.3 × 3.5 × 72.6 ÷ 200 × 30 = 354 calories.

### What is a MET?

A metabolic equivalent. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, about 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute, or about 1 kcal per kg per hour. An activity of 6 MET uses six times as much.

### Why do heavier people burn more calories?

Moving a heavier body takes more energy. MET values are per kilogram, so at the same MET, calories burned rise in step with weight: 200 lb burns 25% more than 160 lb.

### What does "above resting" mean?

It is the extra energy the activity took, beyond what you would have burned sitting still for the same time: (MET − 1) out of every MET. For weight loss, the extra is what counts, because you would burn the resting part anyway.

### Where do the MET values come from?

From the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (Herrmann and others, 2024), a standard list of measured energy costs for adults aged 19 to 59. Each activity here is one Compendium code, and its MET value is used unchanged.

### How accurate is this?

It gives an average for the activity. Fitness, effort, technique, age and body composition can move the real number up or down. A heart rate monitor can give a more personal estimate.

## Sources

- 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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.10.010
- Compendium of Physical Activities: 2024 Adult Compendium, activity lists by major heading. https://pacompendium.com/adult-compendium/
- Compendium of Physical Activities: Unit Conversions (1 MET = 3.5 mL/kg/min = 1 kcal/kg/h; METs to kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200). https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/