Exercise calculation guide
MET Values Explained For Fitness Calorie Calculators
A MET expresses activity intensity relative to a standard resting rate. Learn how it becomes a calorie estimate, which activity details matter and what the calculator actually assumes.
Updated 16 October 2026 • Prepared by Tools by Layna Editorial Team
What one MET means
One metabolic equivalent (MET) is a conventional resting reference: approximately 3.5 mL oxygen per kilogram per minute. A 4-MET activity is modelled at four times that reference. It is not four times every individual person’s measured resting metabolism.
The 2024 Adult Compendium lists activity-specific MET values for adults aged 19–59. Separate older-adult and wheelchair compendia exist. Choose the description that matches speed, terrain and effort rather than the activity name alone.
Examples from the 2024 Adult Compendium
| Specific activity | Code | MET |
|---|---|---|
| Walking for pleasure | 17160 | 3.5 |
| Level walking at 2.8–3.4 mph (about 4.5–5.5 km/h) | 17190 | 3.8 |
| Brisk level walking at 3.5–3.9 mph (about 5.6–6.3 km/h) | 17200 | 4.8 |
| Running at 5.0–5.2 mph (about 8.0–8.4 km/h) | 12030 | 8.5 |
| Resistance exercise, multiple exercises at 8–15 repetitions | 02054 | 3.5 |
These are specific reference rows, not a claim that every walk or weights session has the same energy cost.
The formula used by our calorie calculator
The Calories Burned Calculator uses the oxygen-based conversion:
Estimated kcal = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × duration (minutes).
Equivalently, MET × 0.0175 × kg × minutes. This gives gross session energy, including the energy modelled at rest during that time. An above-resting estimate replaces MET with (MET − 1); the calculator’s main result does not make that subtraction.
Worked example: 70 kg, 30 minutes, 3.5 MET
3.5 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 × 30 = 128.625 kcal, or about 129 kcal gross before the tool’s display rounding. Using the same assumptions, above-resting energy is (3.5 − 1) × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 × 30 = 91.875 kcal, about 92 kcal.
For a mixed session, calculate each activity segment separately and add the results. Assigning the hardest segment’s MET to the entire session also assigns that intensity to recovery and rest.
The tool uses broad activity presets
The current calculator offers fixed presets: Walking 3.5, Weights 5, Gym workout 6, Running 8 and High intensity 10 MET. It does not ask for pace, incline or a custom MET value. These broad presets are illustrative; they are not a lookup of every 2024 Compendium description. The reference table above shows why a more specific activity can have a different MET.
Body size, fitness, technique and conditions affect real energy use. Treat the output as an estimate and avoid adding an exercise estimate to a TDEE target that already includes the same activity.
Frequently asked questions
Are these active calories or total session calories?
The formula used by the linked calculator gives gross session energy. It includes a modelled resting contribution for the same minutes.
Why is running not one fixed MET?
Speed and conditions change the activity description. The calculator’s broad running preset is 8 MET, while the published 5.0–5.2 mph example shown here is 8.5 MET.
Can I enter a Compendium code into the calculator?
No. The current tool offers five presets. Use its stated assumptions, or calculate a specific reference activity with the formula shown here.
Related calculators and guides
Sources and method
- Compendium of Physical Activities — MET definition and reference conventions.
- 2024 Adult Compendium — Scope of the adult reference.
- 2024 Compendium: walking — Codes 17160, 17190 and 17200.
- 2024 Compendium: running — Code 12030.
- 2024 Compendium: conditioning exercise — Code 02054.
- CDC Preventing Chronic Disease: energy-requirement calculation template — The MET energy conversion uses 0.0175 kcal per kilogram per minute per MET.