Calories Burned Calculator

Smartwatches use heart-rate plus motion data, which captures effort better than a flat MET value. But they also have to guess your VO2 max, anaerobic threshold, and economy of movement, which they cannot measure directly. Wearables and MET formulas typically agree within 15 to 30 percent. Neither is a gold standard outside a metabolic lab.

They are population averages from indirect calorimetry studies. The Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al. 2011) is the reference everyone uses, but a 1.0 MET difference between two activities reflects an average across hundreds of subjects, not a precise number for any single person. Treat the output as a reasonable estimate, not a measurement.

Yes. A trained runner uses less oxygen and burns slightly fewer calories at the same pace than a beginner, because they move more efficiently. Conversely, beginners working at the same external pace are usually working at a higher percent of their VO2 max. The standard MET formula does not adjust for this.

MET values measure average oxygen cost, and weight training has long rest periods between sets. A 60-minute session might only have 15 minutes of actual work. The 3.5 to 6.0 MET range reflects that. If you want a fairer comparison, count only working minutes.

For weight loss, most coaches recommend eating back zero to half of estimated exercise calories, because MET and wearable estimates are typically high. For performance, eat back most or all of them to maintain training quality. Track weight trend over two to three weeks and adjust.