Quick answer
Calories burned are estimated as MET × body weight in kilograms × duration in hours, where the MET value measures how hard an activity is relative to rest. A 70 kg person doing a 9.8 MET activity for 30 minutes burns about 343 kcal.
MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities. The result is an estimate for an average person, and it includes the energy you would burn at rest anyway.
Related tools: Calories Burned Standing Calculator: Calories burned while standing, from Compendium MET values. Calories Burned Hiking Calculator: Calories burned hiking for a given body weight, pace and time. Calorie Calculator: Daily calories to maintain, lose or gain weight.
How to use the Calories Burned Calculator
- Choose activity: Walking, 3.5 mph (MET 4.3), Running, 6 mph (MET 9.8), Cycling, 12–13.9 mph (MET 8.0), Swimming laps, light/moderate (MET 5.8), Resistance training, light–moderate (MET 3.5) and Resistance training, vigorous (MET 6.0) and 1 more.
- Choose units: Metric (kg, cm) and Imperial (lb, in).
- Enter weight (kg, or lb) (between 20 and 500).
- Enter duration (min) (between 0 and 1440).
- Press Calculate to see the result, and use Reset to start again.
| Input | What to enter | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Activity | Choose one: Walking, 3.5 mph (MET 4.3); Running, 6 mph (MET 9.8); Cycling, 12–13.9 mph (MET 8.0); Swimming laps, light/moderate (MET 5.8); Resistance training, light–moderate (MET 3.5); Resistance training, vigorous (MET 6.0); Jumping rope, moderate (MET 11.8) | Starts at Walking, 3.5 mph (MET 4.3) |
| Units | Choose one: Metric (kg, cm); Imperial (lb, in) | Starts at Metric (kg, cm) |
| Weight (kg, or lb) | A number | ≥ 20, ≤ 500 |
| Duration | A number, in min | > 0, ≤ 1440 |
Formula and method
Formula
kcal = MET × weight (kg) × duration (hours)
IEEE-754 double precision; shown to 1 decimal place unless stated.
MET values are taken from the Compendium of Physical Activities; actual burn varies with fitness, terrain and technique. Informational estimate, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified health professional about your own situation.
Worked examples
These examples are verified: each one is an automated test case that the live calculator must reproduce exactly.
Example 1
Inputs: Activity = Running, 6 mph (MET 9.8); Units = Metric (kg, cm); Weight (kg, or lb) = 70; Duration = 30.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories burned | 343 kcal |
Example 2
Inputs: Activity = Walking, 3.5 mph (MET 4.3); Units = Metric (kg, cm); Weight (kg, or lb) = 80; Duration = 60.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories burned | 344 kcal |
Example 3
Inputs: Activity = Cycling, 12–13.9 mph (MET 8.0); Units = Imperial (lb, in); Weight (kg, or lb) = 154; Duration = 45.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories burned | 419 kcal |
The first line is the headline result (calories burned). IEEE-754 double precision; shown to 1 decimal place unless stated.
Two forms of the formula
This calculator uses the simple form, kcal = MET × kg × hours, which treats 1 MET as 1 kcal per kilogram per hour. The ACSM-style form, kcal per minute = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200, corresponds to 1.05 kcal per kilogram per hour per MET, so it gives about 5% more: 9.8 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 12.0 kcal per minute, or 360 kcal for 30 minutes, against 343 here. Neither knows your fitness, terrain, temperature or technique, so treat both as rough.
A 70 kg person at 9.8 MET for different durations
Every figure in this table comes from running this calculator, so it matches what the form returns.
| Minutes | Calories burned |
|---|---|
| 15 | 172 |
| 30 | 343 |
| 45 | 515 |
| 60 | 686 |
What happens with invalid input
These messages are produced by the calculator itself, so you know what to fix.
- Duration: entering "0" shows "Duration must be greater than 0." beside that field and no result.
Choosing between the Calories Burned Calculator and similar calculators
Each row shows what a related calculator on this site asks for and what it returns, so you can pick the one that matches your question.
| Calculator | You enter | It returns |
|---|---|---|
| [Calories Burned Standing Calculator](/health/calories-burned-standing/) | standing posture, body weight and weight unit | Calories burned |
| [Calories Burned Hiking Calculator](/health/calories-burned-hiking-calculator/) | hiking type, body weight and weight unit | Calories burned |
| [Calorie Calculator](/health/calorie-calculator/) | units, sex and weight | Maintenance calories |
| [BMR Calculator](/health/bmr-calculator/) | units, sex and weight | Basal metabolic rate |
| [TDEE Calculator](/health/tdee-calculator/) | units, sex and weight | Total daily energy expenditure |
Background: nutrition estimates
Nutrition calculators estimate: they use population-average equations and food tables, and different tables give different numbers for the same food. Certain medical conditions change energy needs in ways basic formulas cannot see, and only laboratory analysis gives exact nutrient values.
Use the result as a starting point, track what actually happens over a few weeks and adjust; ask a qualified professional about medical or clinical decisions.
Assumptions and limitations
- Estimate only
- Not a diagnosis
This calculator gives general information based on published formulas. It is not medical advice, and it cannot account for your health history. Talk to a qualified clinician about decisions that affect your health.
If a required value is empty, not a number, or outside its allowed range, the form marks that field with a message and shows no result instead of a misleading number. The automated checks deliberately try invalid entries for duration to confirm this.
Frequently asked questions
Why do different calorie calculators give different results?
They use different MET tables and slightly different formulas: the simple MET × kg × hours form and the 3.5/200 form differ by about 5%, and neither accounts for individual fitness.
What does the Calories Burned Calculator calculate?
Estimate calories burned from activity, body weight and time using MET values. It returns Calories burned.
What formula does the Calories Burned Calculator use?
kcal = MET × weight (kg) × duration (hours). MET values are taken from the Compendium of Physical Activities; actual burn varies with fitness, terrain and technique.
What do I need to enter in the calories Burned Calculator?
You enter Activity, Units, Weight (kg, or lb) and Duration (min).
How is the result rounded or limited?
IEEE-754 double precision; shown to 1 decimal place unless stated. Estimate only.
What are the limits of this calculator?
Estimate only. Not a diagnosis.
What does the “Activity” option change?
It sets how the calories Burned is worked out. The choices are Walking, 3.5 mph (MET 4.3), Running, 6 mph (MET 9.8), Cycling, 12–13.9 mph (MET 8.0), Swimming laps, light/moderate (MET 5.8), Resistance training, light–moderate (MET 3.5), Resistance training, vigorous (MET 6.0) and Jumping rope, moderate (MET 11.8).
What is an example of a calories Burned result?
With activity Running, 6 mph (MET 9.8), units Metric (kg, cm), weight (kg, or lb) 70 and duration 30, the calories burned is 343 kcal.
Where does the method come from?
The method follows: Ainsworth BE et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011;43:1575–1581.
Can I rely on this calculator for a decision?
This calculator gives general information based on published formulas. It is not medical advice, and it cannot account for your health history. Talk to a qualified clinician about decisions that affect your health. For this calculator in particular: Estimate only.
Related calculators
- Calories Burned Standing Calculator — Calories burned while standing, from Compendium MET values.
- Calories Burned Hiking Calculator — Calories burned hiking for a given body weight, pace and time.
- Calorie Calculator — Daily calories to maintain, lose or gain weight.
- BMR Calculator — Estimate basal metabolic rate with the Mifflin–St Jeor and revised Harris–Benedict equations.
- TDEE Calculator — Total daily energy expenditure from BMR and activity level.
- Protein Calculator — Daily protein target by body weight and activity.
- Net Carb Calculator — Net carbohydrates after subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols.
Sources
- Ainsworth BE et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011;43:1575–1581
Content last reviewed 2026-11-04. Formulas and worked examples are checked by automated tests against independently computed values.