Estimated activity calories
Total calories include the resting energy modeled for the same minutes. Calories above rest subtract that baseline. Both are standardized estimates, not measurements of your individual energy expenditure.
To relate distance and time to average speed, use the Pace Calculator .
The formula
This uses the Compendium’s approximation that one MET equals one kcal per kilogram per hour. Pounds convert using exactly 0.45359237 kg per pound. Presets are 2.8, 3.8, and 4.8 MET for the listed walking speeds, 9.3 for the listed run, and 4.0 for leisure cycling. Custom MET replaces the preset.
Thirty minutes of moderate level walking
At 70 kg, 30 minutes, and 3.8 MET, total energy is 3.8 × 70 × 0.5 = 133 kcal. The modeled resting amount is 35 kcal, so estimated energy above rest is 98 kcal. These two components add back to 133 kcal.
How to use this calculator
- Select the activity matching your speed and conditions, or choose Custom MET.
- Enter your body weight in the selected unit and activity minutes. Changing units reinterprets the number; it does not convert your entry.
- Calculate and compare total calories, the resting baseline, and calories above rest.
Match intensity rather than just the activity name
A published MET represents a specified task and pace. The walking presets assume a level surface, and the speed ranges are miles per hour. Inclines, carried loads, terrain, and different cycling conditions can change the workload. Choose custom mode when a more suitable published activity value is available, and enter its MET rather than treating every session with the same activity name as identical.
Separate a session total from additional energy
Total energy includes the amount assigned to being at rest during those minutes. The above-rest result answers a different question: how much the activity exceeds that standardized baseline. For the same weight and time, increasing MET changes the above-rest amount while the baseline stays fixed. Adding total session calories to a daily estimate that already includes those minutes can count some energy twice.
Keep the units and approximation consistent
Minutes are converted to hours before multiplication, and the calculator uses kilograms internally. All calorie outputs are dietary kilocalories. Some calculators instead convert oxygen consumption using MET × 3.5 × kg / 200 per minute; that convention produces values five percent higher than the one-kcal-per-kilogram-hour approximation used here. The formula choice is shown so a difference between tools can be understood without assuming either number is a personal measurement.
Assumptions & limitations
What this calculation assumes
- Uses the standardized one-MET resting baseline, not measured resting metabolism.
- The selected MET, weight, and intensity remain constant throughout the session.
What to keep in mind
- Adult Compendium presets were developed for adults aged 19–59 and are population estimates; individual expenditure varies.
- No wearable integration, physiological correction, daily food target, or conversion of activity calories to expected weight loss.
- Accepts 0–1,440 minutes and custom MET values from 1–25.
Common questions
Which value should I compare with a tracker?
Check whether the tracker reports total energy or active energy. Compare like definitions; devices may use different models and individual inputs.
Why is the result different from a MET × 3.5 / 200 calculator?
That oxygen-based conversion is five percent higher for the same inputs. This page uses the published one-MET equals one kcal/kg/hour approximation and states it explicitly.
Can I calculate an activity outside the presets?
Yes. Select Custom MET and enter a suitable value from a published activity source. The calculator does not identify the right intensity automatically.