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Calories Burned Calculator
Estimate calories burned from activity (MET) × body weight × duration, with the 2024 Adult Compendium MET table and per-activity presets (walking/running/cycling). A net-vs-gross toggle (gross includes resting metabolism; net subtracts ~1 MET — the honest figure for weight loss). A steady-state estimate — the MET model ignores EPOC/afterburn; a wearable is more personalised. Accurate, instant and free — for United States.
What these mean:
What these mean:
What these mean:
Running (6 mph) at 9.8 MET for 30 min at 70 kg burns ≈ 360 kcal gross (includes resting metabolism) or ≈ 323 kcal net (gross − ~1 MET of resting burn). You're showing the GROSS figure. A steady-state estimate — the MET model ignores EPOC/afterburn; a wearable is more personalised. General fitness guidance.
Calories burned (gross)
360 kcal
Gross (kcal)
360 kcal
Net (kcal)
323 kcal
Rate
12 kcal/min
MET
9.8
Net vs gross — which number should I use?
A steady-state estimate — general fitness guidance
How we calculate this
Reviewed by Reckonist Editorial · Last reviewed July 2026. Figures follow the methods and sources set out in our editorial standards.
Calories = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 per minute; MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. A population-average estimate — general fitness guidance.
2024 Adult Compendium · as of 2024
Round out your training: dial in your running pace, set your daily fuel with the Macro Calculator, and track progress with the Weight-Loss Percentage Calculator.
MET × weight × time — the calorie-burn formula
Calorie burn is estimated from an activity’s MET (metabolic equivalent), your body weight and the duration. MET values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities — the current authority (150+ activities). Every value carries its unit (kcal).
The MET formula
yields GROSS kcal
kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200
3.5 is resting O₂ (mL/kg/min); 200 converts O₂ → kcal. Multiply by minutes for the total. Burn scales linearly with weight and duration.
Gross vs net
net = gross − ~1 MET
net = (MET − 1) × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 × min
Gross includes the resting metabolism you’d burn anyway; net subtracts ~1 MET. Weight-loss users want net — the more honest deficit figure.
- 1Per-minute rate: 9.8 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 12.0 kcal/min.
- 2Gross total (× 30 min): 12.0 × 30 = ≈ 360 kcal — includes resting metabolism.
- 3Net total (MET − 1 = 8.8): 8.8 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 × 30 = ≈ 323 kcal — the resting burn stripped out.
Net vs gross — which figure should you use?
The plain MET formula yields gross calories — it includes the resting metabolism you would have burned during that half-hour whether you exercised or not. For a weight-loss deficit, the honest figure is net: gross minus about 1 MET of resting burn. Most online calculators quietly report gross, which flatters the number; this one shows both and lets you choose which drives the headline.
Why ~1 MET?
Per-activity METs — from the 2024 Adult Compendium
Pick the specific activity and speed — MET rises sharply with intensity, so walking at 2 mph and 4 mph are very different burns. A sample of the values this calculator uses:
| Activity | MET |
|---|---|
| Walking (3 mph) | 3.5 |
| Walking (4 mph, brisk) | 5.0 |
| Running (6 mph) | 9.8 |
| Running (8 mph) | 11.8 |
| Cycling (moderate, 12–14 mph) | 8.0 |
| Swimming (freestyle, moderate) | 7.0 |
| Jump rope (moderate) | 11.8 |
| Yoga (Hatha) | 2.5 |
Can't find your activity?
It’s a steady-state estimate — and that’s okay
The MET model is steady-state: it assumes a constant effort and ignores EPOC(excess post-exercise oxygen consumption — the “afterburn”), your individual fitness, efficiency and body composition. A heart-rate strap or a wearable that reads your own heart rate is more personalised. Treat this as a well-grounded ballpark, from a version-stamped academic source, not a precise calorie count.
An estimate — general fitness guidance
Frequently asked questions
From your activity's MET (metabolic equivalent), your body weight and how long you exercised: kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × weight(kg) ÷ 200, then multiplied by the minutes. The 3.5 is resting oxygen use (mL/kg/min) and 200 converts oxygen to kilocalories. For running at 6 mph (9.8 MET) at 70 kg for 30 minutes: 9.8 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 12.0 kcal/min × 30 ≈ 360 kcal. MET values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.
A MET (metabolic equivalent of task) is the energy cost of an activity relative to sitting quietly, which is defined as 1 MET (about 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg per minute). Walking at 3 mph is about 3.5 METs, running at 6 mph about 9.8 METs, and running at 14 mph roughly 23 METs. A 10-MET activity burns about ten times the calories of resting. This calculator uses the MET values published in the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.
Gross calories include the resting metabolism you would have burned anyway during that time; net calories subtract it (about 1 MET of resting burn). The plain MET formula gives GROSS. For a weight-loss deficit the NET figure is more honest, because you would have burned those resting calories whether or not you exercised. For running at 6 mph, 70 kg, 30 min: gross ≈ 360 kcal, net ≈ 323 kcal. This tool shows both and lets you pick which one drives the headline.
Walking at 3 mph is about 3.5 METs. For a 70 kg person walking 30 minutes: 3.5 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 4.29 kcal/min × 30 ≈ 129 kcal (gross). Brisk walking at 4 mph is about 5 METs and burns proportionally more. Because calorie burn scales linearly with weight and duration, a heavier person or a longer walk burns more.
Running at 6 mph (a 10-minute mile) is about 9.8 METs; at 8 mph it is roughly 11.8 METs. For a 70 kg runner at 6 mph for 30 minutes: 9.8 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 12.0 kcal/min × 30 ≈ 360 kcal gross (about 323 kcal net). Faster paces raise the MET and the burn; pair this with the Running Pace Calculator to match a MET to your actual pace.
It is a population-average estimate, not a personalised measurement. The MET model is steady-state: it assumes a constant effort and ignores EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, the "afterburn"), individual fitness, efficiency and body composition. A heart-rate strap or a wearable that uses your own heart-rate data is more personalised. Treat the number as general fitness guidance and a good ballpark, not a precise calorie count.
Method, formulas & references
Methodology: calories = MET × 3.5 × weight(kg) ÷ 200 per minute (GROSS, includes resting metabolism); NET = (MET − 1) × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 × minutes. MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (PMC10818145). All calculations run client-side and nothing is stored. A population-average steady-state estimate — the MET model ignores EPOC/afterburn, and a heart-rate strap or wearable is more personalised. General fitness guidance.
Cross-links
How we calculate this
Reviewed by Reckonist Editorial · Last reviewed July 2026. Figures follow the methods and sources set out in our editorial standards.
Calories = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 per minute; MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Gross includes resting metabolism; net subtracts ~1 MET. A population-average estimate that ignores EPOC — a wearable is more personalised. General fitness guidance, not medical advice.
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