Calculate calories burned by activity and duration using MET values.
The MET method is the most widely used approach for estimating exercise energy expenditure in public health research and clinical settings. One MET equals 1 kcal per kilogram per hour, corresponding to quiet sitting. An activity at MET 8 burns 8 times the resting rate. Gross calories include resting metabolism; net calories subtract it, giving the energy directly attributable to exercise. Gross is the figure that appears on treadmill screens and fitness tracker logs.
Calories burned (MET method)
Calories = MET × Weight (kg) × Time (hours)
Calorie estimates are based on population-average MET values and individual body weight. Actual expenditure varies with fitness level, terrain, temperature, and other factors. This is not medical advice — consult a healthcare professional for clinical exercise prescriptions.
MET-based estimates carry ±15–25% error at the individual level because they don't account for fitness level, efficiency, heat, terrain or individual metabolic variation. A trained runner burns fewer calories per km than a beginner because of greater efficiency. Treat MET estimates as a planning order-of-magnitude, not a precise calorie count.
Use gross calories when logging exercise in a food tracking app that does NOT separately account for resting metabolism. Use net calories if your app already accounts for your TDEE separately — logging net avoids double-counting the resting component.
Wearables use proprietary algorithms that incorporate heart rate, accelerometer data and user profile data. They're often more accurate than MET alone for aerobic activities because heart rate adjusts for individual fitness. MET is still the gold standard for population and epidemiological research.