What are METs?
A MET (metabolic equivalent of task) is the energy cost of an activity relative to sitting still — 1 MET is roughly 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. The Compendium of Physical Activities catalogues hundreds of activities with MET values, and that is what powers every gym-machine calorie readout.
How the calculator works
Calories = MET × 3.5 × weight-in-kg ÷ 200 × minutes. Pick an activity from the list or type a custom MET value, enter your weight and duration, and the tool returns total burn plus per-minute and per-hour rates.
Common use cases
- Comparing the actual burn of cardio options
- Balancing a nutrition plan around training days
- Reality-checking wearable readouts that flatter you
Formula & caveats
MET tables assume average efficiency and ignore heart-rate drift, terrain and economy — treat results as good estimates, not lab measurements. Heavier bodies burn more at the same MET because moving more mass costs more energy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my watch show a different number?
Wearables blend heart rate and algorithms; MET math uses published averages. Expect ±15% disagreement even from good devices.
Does muscle raise the burn?
Slightly — more lean mass raises resting burn, but the MET value of the activity itself dominates.
What burns the most calories per minute?
Hard running (9.8+ MET), cross-country skiing and jump rope top the standard tables.
Privacy & Your Data
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