Calories Burned Calculator
Work out how many calories you burn walking, cycling, running or swimming, using the formula and MET values of the Dutch Nutrition Centre.
Calories burned
158 kcal
Moderate intensity
Of which extra compared with rest
121 kcal
Per hour
316 kcal
Effort (MET value)
4.3
Please note: This is a general guideline, not a diagnosis or medical advice. If you have questions about your health, talk to your doctor.
An estimate with the formula of the Dutch Nutrition Centre, not a medical assessment. Your real energy use depends on your fitness, muscle mass, age and conditions. If you have a condition or questions about exercise or losing weight, talk to your doctor or a dietitian. Your input is not stored.
How this number is calculated
The blocks use your input. Change a value above and they update with it.
Step 1 · Energy use per minute
Step 2 · Extra energy use per minute
Step 3 · Calories burned
How the calculation works
Work out how many calories (kilocalories) you burn during an activity, based on your weight and how long you do it. The calculator uses the MET values and the formula of the Dutch Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum).
Every activity has a MET value: how many times your resting energy use the activity costs. Rest is 1 MET. The Nutrition Centre works out energy use per minute as MET × 3.5 × body weight (kg) ÷ 200. That number times the minutes gives the calories. The calculator also shows how much of it is extra compared with rest: you use energy even when you do not move. Moderate intensity is a MET value of 3 to 5.9, vigorous is 6 or more. The MET values for walking, cycling and swimming are those of the Nutrition Centre. Running by speed, hiking through fields and hills and swimming laps come from the Compendium of Physical Activities (2024 version).
Formula
Calories per minute = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200. Calories = per minute × minutes. Extra compared with rest = (MET − 1) × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes.
Assumptions
- An estimate for adults. A MET value is an average. Your real energy use depends on fitness, muscle mass, technique and conditions, and can differ by 20 to 30%.
- The result is the total energy use during the activity, including the energy you would use at rest anyway. The line 'extra compared with rest' subtracts that.
- Children and teenagers have different MET values. This calculator is not meant for them.
- The speeds for walking, cycling and running are ranges. Choose the activity closest to your pace.
- Energy use at rest and after a workout (afterburn) is not counted separately.
- Fitness devices and watches often give other values. They use their own formulas and your heart rate.
Example calculations
The button fills in the calculator above, so you can carry on from there.
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Half an hour of brisk walking
Calories burned
158 kcal · Moderate intensity
Walking, brisk (5 to 6 km/h) · Weight 70 kg · Duration (minutes) 30
-
Three quarters of an hour of running
Calories burned
476 kcal · Vigorous intensity
Running, about 10 km/h · Weight 65 kg · Duration (minutes) 45
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Worked example of the Nutrition Centre
Calories burned
630 kcal · Vigorous intensity
Cycling, brisk (19 to 22 km/h) · Weight 75 kg · Duration (minutes) 60
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do I burn walking briskly for half an hour?
At 70 kg and a pace of 5 to 6 km/h (MET 4.3), about 158 kcal. Of that, about 121 kcal is extra compared with rest.
What is a MET value?
MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task. It is how many times more energy an activity costs than rest. Rest is 1 MET, brisk walking 4.3 MET and running at 10 km/h 9.3 MET. The Nutrition Centre uses these values.
Why does my sports watch give a different number?
A watch estimates energy use from your heart rate, age and weight, and often with its own formula. This calculator uses only activity, weight and duration. Both are estimates and can differ by tens of per cent.
Can I lose weight with exercise alone?
Exercise helps, but the Nutrition Centre says eating healthier and eating less has a much bigger and faster effect than moving more alone. A kilo of body fat holds about 7,700 kcal. Use the Calorie Calculator to see your daily needs.
Do I move enough?
The Dutch physical activity guideline asks for at least 150 minutes a week at moderate intensity. The Physical Activity Guideline Calculator shows how close you are. Every activity in this list counts as moderate or vigorous.
Sources and checks
Sources
- 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities | Journal of Sport and Health Science (opens in a new tab)
- Compendium of Physical Activities: Running (opens in a new tab)
- Compendium of Physical Activities: Walking (opens in a new tab)
How we check it
This calculator has 12 fixed checks: 8 calculations with a result that is fixed in advance, and 4 cases of invalid input that must be rejected. They all run automatically every time we publish; if one fails, the calculator does not go live.
See the calculations
- Walking, brisk (5 to 6 km/h) · Weight 70 kg · Duration (minutes) 30 → Calories burned 158 kcal
- Running, about 10 km/h · Weight 65 kg · Duration (minutes) 45 → Calories burned 476 kcal
- Cycling, brisk (19 to 22 km/h) · Weight 75 kg · Duration (minutes) 60 → Calories burned 630 kcal
- Swimming, vigorous effort · Weight 80 kg · Duration (minutes) 20 → Calories burned 274 kcal
- Racing cycling · Weight 70 kg · Duration (minutes) 60 → Calories burned 1,161 kcal
- Walking, relaxed (3 to 5 km/h) · Weight 55 kg · Duration (minutes) 90 → Calories burned 303 kcal
- Walking, very brisk (6 to 7 km/h) · Weight 150 lb · Duration (minutes) 40 → Calories burned 238 kcal
- Running, about 8 km/h · Weight 11 st · Duration (minutes) 30 → Calories burned 312 kcal
Changes
- : First version, with MET values and the formula of the Dutch Nutrition Centre and the Compendium of Physical Activities (2024).
Last reviewed: · How we build and check our calculators
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