Estimated calories for a workout, from your weight, the activity, your speed and how long you went. Runs in your browser; nothing is saved or sent.
What this does: estimates the calories you burn in a workout from your body weight, the activity, your speed or effort, and how long you went. Pick from running, walking, cycling, swimming, lifting, climbing, sports and more. It uses MET values: a MET (metabolic equivalent) is a standard measure of how hard an activity is, where 1 MET is the energy you use sitting still.
For pace, type minutes and seconds, like 9:30.
How it works
Every activity has a MET value (metabolic equivalent): how much energy it takes compared with sitting still, which is 1 MET. Running at 6 mph is about 9.3 METs, so it burns roughly nine times what you would sitting on the couch. The values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (Herrmann et al., 2024; official Compendium site), the standard reference researchers use.
For running, walking, cycling, rowing and indoor cycling, we use the Compendium’s value for the speed or power band you’re in (where two published rows leave a gap, we use the row just below your number). The calculation is the Compendium’s own: calories per minute = MET × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200. The total includes what your body burns at rest anyway, so we also show the extra above resting (the same formula with 1 MET taken off).
These are estimates, so use the number as a planning guide rather than an exact figure. The values are averages for adults aged 19–59, and the standard MET doesn’t adjust for age, body size or sex, or capture terrain and wind, so your own number can differ. For skiing and snowboarding, count only the time you’re actually moving, not lifts and breaks.
Sources
Herrmann SD, 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
Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: MET values and unit conversions (official site). Source
General information for healthy adult athletes, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing how you eat.