Cycling is a fantastic way to stay active and burn calories. But how many calories does biking really burn? The answer depends on various factors such as the intensity of your ride, your body weight, and the terrain you’re riding on. In this guide, we’ll help you understand how to calculate calories burned biking, explore what factors influence your burn, and show you how to make the most of your cycling workout.
To calculate calories burned while biking, you can use a simple formula that factors in your weight, speed, and the length of your ride. While this method gives you a rough estimate, combining speed and heart rate provides a more accurate picture of your calorie burn.
The MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a popular method for estimating energy expenditure during different activities. To calculate calories burned cycling with MET, multiply the MET value of the activity by your body weight (in kg) and the duration of the activity (in hours). For example, cycling at a moderate pace has a MET value of 7.5. If you weigh 70 kg and cycle for an hour, you’ll burn approximately:
Calories Burned = MET × weight × duration Calories Burned = 7.5 × 70 × 1 = 525 calories
This gives a good ballpark figure to estimate your calorie burn.
The Karvonen formula is another method that combines your heart rate with cycling intensity for a more accurate calculation. By considering your resting heart rate, target heart rate zone, and cycling speed, you can refine the number of calories burned during your ride. This is especially useful if you’re monitoring your heart rate for a more tailored workout.
Cycling can burn anywhere from 290 to 1176 calories per hour, depending on how fast you ride and how hard you work. The actual number varies based on factors like speed, intensity, body weight, and terrain.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what influences your calorie burn:
A 2015 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared several types of exercise, including cycling. It showed that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on a hydraulic resistance system burned the most calories, confirming that the intensity of exercise plays a major role in calorie burn.
To get a more accurate estimate of the calories burned while cycling, consider monitoring your heart rate. Combining heart rate with speed can help you determine your intensity, which plays a key role in how many calories you burn.
For example, let’s consider Alex, a 30-year-old male weighing 75 kg (165 lbs). If Alex rides an indoor bike for 30 minutes with varying heart rates, his calorie burn looks like this:
By tracking your heart rate during your ride, you can get a better idea of how hard you’re working and adjust accordingly to maximize calorie burn.
Several factors come into play when determining how many calories you burn while cycling. These include your speed, body weight, the terrain, and how long you ride. Let’s break down the most important factors.
The faster you cycle and the more effort you put into your ride, the more calories you’ll burn. If you’re cruising at a leisurely pace, you’ll burn fewer calories compared to cycling at a vigorous pace or climbing a hill.
Your body weight significantly impacts how many calories you burn while cycling. The more you weigh, the more energy your body needs to expend to move. This means heavier cyclists generally burn more calories than lighter ones when cycling at the same intensity and speed. For more info, check out our articles on “does cycling help you lose weight”.
The length of time you spend cycling also affects how many calories you burn. If you ride for just 15 minutes, you won’t burn as many calories as if you ride for an hour. Increasing your cycling time is a great way to maximize calorie burn, especially if you’re looking to lose weight.
The terrain you ride on plays a significant role in calorie burn. Uphill cycling, mountain biking, and off-road trails all demand more effort than flat, paved roads. If you’re cycling uphill, your body works harder, and that means more calories burned. Similarly, the type of bike you use impacts your effort. A mountain bike or a heavier bike requires more energy than a lightweight road bike.
Your age, gender, and fitness level influence how your body burns calories during exercise. Younger individuals and those with higher fitness levels tend to burn calories more efficiently. Men, on average, have more muscle mass than women, which means they often burn more calories during exercise.
Calories burned while biking varies based on the speed and intensity of your ride. Here’s a breakdown of the calories you can burn depending on your cycling pace.
At a leisurely pace under 15 km/h, you can expect to burn around 290-400 calories per hour. This is ideal for easy rides or casual cycling through the neighborhood.
Cycling at a moderate pace (16-22 km/h) burns around 400-600 calories per hour. This is a great pace for fitness improvement, as it gives you a solid workout without being overly strenuous.
At a vigorous pace of 23-28 km/h, you’ll burn 600-800 calories per hour. This is perfect for improving cardiovascular health and increasing endurance.
Cycling at speeds above 28 km/h burns 800-1176 calories per hour. This is the level of intensity that’s great for serious cyclists or those looking for a hardcore workout.
By following these tips and tracking your calories burned biking, you’ll be on your way to achieving your fitness goals in no time. If you’re looking to learn more, check out our article on weight training for cyclists to further boost your cycling performance!
When comparing biking to other forms of cardio like walking or running, riding a bike typically burns more calories, depending on the intensity. Let’s break down the calorie burn between biking and other popular cardio exercises.
Walking is a low-impact exercise that burns fewer calories than biking. On average, walking at 5 km/h burns around 250-300 calories per hour, while cycling at a moderate pace burns 400-600 calories per hour.
Running tends to burn more calories than biking because it’s a higher-impact exercise. Running at a moderate pace (10-minute mile) can burn around 700 calories per hour, while cycling at a moderate pace burns about 400-600 calories per hour.
Indoor cycling generally burns fewer calories than outdoor cycling. This is due to the lack of terrain variation and factors like wind resistance when cycling outdoors. Outdoor cycling, especially on hilly terrain, can significantly increase your calorie burn.
Cycling is an effective way to burn calories, improve cardiovascular health, and increase endurance. By understanding how many calories you burn biking, you can better tailor your workouts to match your fitness goals. Whether you’re cycling for fun or working toward weight loss, paying attention to your intensity, heart rate, and ride duration will help you burn the most calories.
Yes! Biking every day can help you lose weight, especially if you maintain a healthy diet and create a calorie deficit. Regular cycling, combined with a balanced diet, is an excellent way to burn calories and shed fat.
Yes, heavier cyclists tend to burn more calories because their bodies require more energy to move, especially when cycling at the same speed and intensity as someone who weighs less.
Cycling helps build muscle, especially in the lower body. It targets the legs, glutes, and core, which tones and strengthens these muscles. Regular cycling also helps improve endurance, while burning calories to promote overall fitness.
