Calories Burned Calculator
Calories Burned Calculator
This calculator estimates how much you burn in calories during different activities, either by the amount of time you do the activity or by the distance traveled (for walking, running, or riding a bike). For your daily calorie requirement, visit our Calorie Calculator.
Calories Burned by Distance Calculator
Estimate calories burned while walking, running, or riding a bike a given distance using this.
Since so many variables affect calorie burn, these estimates are only an approximation based on averages. The formulas and methods employed are discussed more fully below.
How Calories Burned Correlate to Your Body and Activity
The number of calories burned depends on your body size, duration of exercise, and the intensity of the activity.
Body Weight: Larger individuals burn more calories performing the same task as their body has to work harder. For example, a 200-pound person will burn more calories running a mile than a 100-pound person.
Duration: The longer you do something, the more calories it burns. But intensity also counts; walking slowly one mile will burn less than running one mile.
Exercise Intensity: The more you work, the more calories you expend. Intensity may be approximated by heart rate or oxygen uptake on exercise.
Body Weight: Larger individuals burn more calories performing the same task as their body has to work harder. For example, a 200-pound person will burn more calories running a mile than a 100-pound person.
Duration: The longer you do something, the more calories it burns. But intensity also counts; walking slowly one mile will burn less than running one mile.
Exercise Intensity: The more you work, the more calories you expend. Intensity may be approximated by heart rate or oxygen uptake on exercise.
Measuring Intensity: MET Explained
Intensity is usually quantified in METs (Metabolic Equivalent of Task), which relates your energy expenditure for the activity to your resting energy use.
- A MET of 1 is equal to the energy utilized while sitting quietly.
- An activity with a MET of 2 takes twice as much energy as resting.
- More vigorous exercises are assigned higher MET values (for example, walking slowly may be 2 METs, and jumping rope 11 METs).
The Role of Exercise Intensity in Fuel Use
Exercise intensity affects what your body uses as fuel carbohydrates or fat.
- Lighter workouts most often burn more fat.
- More intense activities switch the body to utilize more carbohydrates.
- Protein can, of course, be burned as energy, but it’s seldom a major component during regular exercise.
Other Factors That Affect Calories Burned
Aside from weight, time, and intensity, several other factors may affect calorie burn:
Age: Older adults tend to burn fewer calories because metabolism and muscle mass change.
Body Composition: Muscle burns a higher number of calories than fat, so a person with muscle will burn more calories than a person of the same weight but heavier because they have more fat.
Environment: It becomes hotter and you use more calories.
Fitness Level: People who are fitter tend to use fewer calories doing the same exercise because their bodies function better.
Diet and Sleep: Both can impact metabolism and how many calories you’re burning per day.
Age: Older adults tend to burn fewer calories because metabolism and muscle mass change.
Body Composition: Muscle burns a higher number of calories than fat, so a person with muscle will burn more calories than a person of the same weight but heavier because they have more fat.
Environment: It becomes hotter and you use more calories.
Fitness Level: People who are fitter tend to use fewer calories doing the same exercise because their bodies function better.
Diet and Sleep: Both can impact metabolism and how many calories you’re burning per day.
Calculating Calories Burned
The formula used here estimates calories burned as:
Calories = Time × MET × Body Weight 200
tyle="font-size:18px; font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"> Calories = Time (minutes) × MET × Body Weight (kg) 200 This approach comes from research on how different activities affect energy use based on body mass and time spent.How Accurate Are These Estimates?
Calories burned calculations rely heavily on MET values, which are averages based on a typical adult (a healthy 40-year-old male weighing 70 kg). Individual differences in metabolism, muscle mass, age, and health can cause significant variation.
Additionally, most activities have breaks or variable effort, so total time estimates can result in overestimation of calories burned.
To get accurate figures, controlled lab tests of oxygen use and heart rate during exercise would be required, but these are not feasible for most individuals.
Therefore, these estimates are best used as an overall guide rather than an individualized exact figure.
Additionally, most activities have breaks or variable effort, so total time estimates can result in overestimation of calories burned.
To get accurate figures, controlled lab tests of oxygen use and heart rate during exercise would be required, but these are not feasible for most individuals.
Therefore, these estimates are best used as an overall guide rather than an individualized exact figure.