How many calories are burned during a workout: running, cycling, swimming, gym

An hour of running at a moderate pace for a 70 kg person is about 550–700 kcal, cycling at a leisurely pace is 350–450, swimming is 400–600, and strength training is 200–350. All figures depend on body weight almost proportionally, and all are lower than what the machine displays. Below is a table and an explanation of where the discrepancy comes from.

Reference table

Values for one hour of continuous activity for a 70 kg person. For a different weight, multiply by the ratio: for 90 kg, multiply by approximately 1.3; for 55 kg, by approximately 0.8.

Regarding steps, which are tracked most often: see our analysis in the article on step goals. Roughly 10,000 steps provide about 300–400 kcal above resting levels for the same body weight.

Why numbers on machines and trackers are higher

There are three reasons, and the first explains most of the discrepancy.

Gross expenditure instead of net expenditure. In any case, you would have burned 70–90 kcal per hour just by existing. Exercise machines usually show the total, so the "extra" from the workout is lower by that amount. Over an hour, this accounts for 5–15% of the figure on the screen.

Generalized model. The machine knows your weight if you entered it, but it knows nothing about your body composition or fitness level. For why this works poorly with trackers, see the article on fitness trackers and calories: the error in energy expenditure reached 60% even when heart rate accuracy was within a few percent.

Default optimism. An inflated number is more pleasant, and this is noticeable in consumer devices.

The main mistake: eating back what you burned

If an app adds "burned" calories to your daily allowance and you eat them, two errors compound in one direction: overestimated expenditure plus underestimated intake, as discussed in the article on calorie counting apps.

The practical result is familiar: the math adds up, but weight remains stagnant, leading to conclusions about a broken metabolism. It is wiser not to add workout calories to your daily allowance at all, or to add only half.

What a workout provides besides calorie burn

This is more important than the number itself, and here is why: 400 kcal per hour is roughly one meal, and you cannot arithmetically "out-train" a poor diet.

• Muscle preservation during a deficit. The main reason to train while losing weight is the mechanism described in the article on body recomposition.
• Health regardless of weight. WHO physical activity guidelines recommend 150–300 minutes of moderate activity per week, and the benefits are not limited to calorie expenditure.
• Appetite regulation. For some people, regular exercise improves appetite regulation.

How to estimate your expenditure more accurately

1. Subtract resting expenditure. Remove about 80 kcal per hour from the device's figure to get the actual workout addition.
2. Calculate using a formula, not the screen. The table above, adjusted for your weight, is more accurate than a device without data about you.
3. Do not add to your daily allowance. Or add only half.
4. Check the scale over two to three weeks. Weight trends account for everything at once, including what no device can see.

Count it from a photo

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are burned in an hour of running?

For a 70 kg person at a pace of 8 km/h, it is about 550 kcal; at 10 km/h, it is about 700. For other weights, the values change almost proportionally: for 90 kg, multiply by approximately 1.3.

Why does the exercise machine show a higher number?

It usually shows gross expenditure, including the 70–90 kcal per hour that you would have burned even without exercising. Plus, the model is generalized, and an inflated number is more pleasant for the user.

How much is burned during strength training?

About 250 kcal per hour for a weight of 70 kg — significantly less than during cardio. The point of strength training is different: it preserves muscle mass during a deficit, and this affects the result more than the expenditure itself.

Should I eat back the calories burned during a workout?

It is better not to eat them back or to eat only half. An overestimated expenditure calculation combined with an underestimated calorie intake calculation means the estimated deficit turns out to be larger than the actual one.

Is it possible to "out-train" overeating?

Arithmetically, it is difficult: 400 kcal per hour is roughly one meal. Training is valuable for preserving muscle and for health benefits, not as a way to compensate for your diet.

Read next

• Fitness trackers and calorie expenditure: why they measure heart rate but estimate calories — On a tracker screen, three numbers look equally reliable: heart rate, steps, and "calories burned.
• How many steps should you walk per day — Everyone knows the number 10,000, but almost no one knows its origin.
• Calorie deficit: how to calculate it and how to hold it — A calorie deficit is the one thing without which weight does not come down.

This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.

Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.