Calories Burned Calculator

The MET formula multiplies by body weight in kilograms. Moving a heavier body requires proportionally more mechanical work, so energy expenditure scales directly with mass. A 90 kg person running for 30 minutes burns about 50% more calories than a 60 kg person at the same pace.

MET values are population averages with individual variation of roughly ±20%. Fitness level, body composition, terrain, altitude, temperature, and exercise technique all affect actual calorie burn. Wearable devices with heart-rate monitoring narrow the error to about ±10-15% but still over-report on average. Use MET estimates for planning and trend tracking, not precise accounting.

During the session, cardio typically burns more calories per minute (higher MET). However, strength training builds muscle, which raises your resting metabolic rate permanently - each kilogram of added muscle burns an extra 13 kcal/day at rest. Over months and years, the cumulative effect of a higher resting metabolism often exceeds the calories burned in any individual strength session.

If your daily calorie goal already includes an activity factor (i.e., it is your full TDEE), then exercise calories are already counted and should not be added back. If your calorie goal is based on BMR alone (sedentary), then accounting for exercise makes sense - but eat back only 50-70% of estimated burn to account for over-reporting. This calculator is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.