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Calories burned by activity

How many calories does an hour of swimming actually burn? MET values rate every activity against rest, giving a quick, honest calorie estimate from your weight and workout time.

Calories by activity

MET based burn for 20 activities.

Calories burned
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Enter weight, activity, and duration.

MET value
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Burn per hour
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Formula: Calories = MET x weight (kg) x hours. 1 MET is your resting burn.
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What a MET means

One MET is your resting energy use. An 8 MET run burns roughly 8 times your resting rate, so calories = MET x kg x hours. Values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, the research standard.

Estimates, not lab data

Real burn varies with fitness, technique, and body composition; heavier people burn more in absolute terms. Use the number for comparing activities and planning, not for eating back to the calorie.

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Calories by Activity FAQs

How many calories does running burn?
About 1 kcal per kg per km, roughly. A 70 kg runner burns ~560 kcal per hour at 8 km/h and ~690 at 10 km/h by MET math.
What burns more: swimming or running?
Per hour they are close: vigorous swimming (11 MET) beats moderate running (8.3 MET), but most people sustain running longer.
Do heavier people burn more calories?
Yes, moving more mass costs more energy. That is why weight is a required input, and why burn drops as you lose weight.
Should I eat back exercise calories?
Usually no. Trackers and MET math both overestimate a bit; treating exercise as a bonus buffer works better for fat loss.
What is the most accurate way to measure burn?
A heart rate monitor with your real max HR beats MET tables, and lab calorimetry beats everything. METs are the best free estimate.
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