Calories Burned Calculator

The MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) system is the most widely validated method for estimating exercise calorie expenditure. Developed by the American College of Sports Medicine and updated in the Compendium of Physical Activities, MET values represent the energy cost of activities as multiples of resting metabolism. The calculation is: Calories = MET × body weight in kg × hours of exercise.

Body weight is the dominant variable in calorie burn estimates — a 200-lb person burns roughly 35% more calories than a 150-lb person doing the same activity. This is why calorie burn claims on exercise equipment, which typically use a standard 155-lb reference, will overestimate burn for lighter individuals and underestimate for heavier ones.

MET-based calculations capture only the in-exercise calorie burn. High-intensity activities like HIIT and heavy lifting also generate excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) — elevated calorie burn for 12–24 hours after exercise as the body repairs muscle and restores homeostasis. This afterburn effect adds roughly 5–15% to the total caloric cost of intense sessions, making them more effective for fat loss than in-session burn estimates suggest.