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Biking Calorie Calculator + Online Solver With Free Steps
The Biking Calorie Calculator estimates the calories burned by a person performing one of several activities using the method of metabolic equivalents (METs). The activities supported by the calculator are biking, walking, running, swimming, and cross-country skiing.
What Is the Biking Calorie Calculator?
The Biking Calorie Calculator is an online tool that estimates the energy consumed (calories burned) by a person who performs an activity such as walking, biking, etc. The estimation method used is that of metabolic equivalents (METs).
The calculator interface consists of three input text boxes and five drop-down menus, three of which specify the units of the values in the three text boxes.
The two unique drop-down menus are labeled “Exercise” and “Sex.” In the former, you select the activity (one of walking, biking, running, swimming, or cross-country skiing) and the gender/sex of the person in the latter.
The three text boxes are labeled:
- Speed: The speed with which the person performs the activity over the specified distance. It can be in mph (miles per hour), kph (kilometers per hour), fpm (feet per minute), or mpm (meters per minute).
- Distance: Distance covered while performing the activity. It can be in miles, kilometers, feet, or meters.
- Weight: The exerciser’s body weight. It can be in lbs (pounds) or kg (kilograms).
How To Use the Biking Calorie Calculator?
You can use the Biking Calorie Calculator to find the energy expended during any activity by entering details about it along with your body weight and gender.
Step 1
Select the type of exercise/activity from the drop-down menu Exercise.
Step 2
Enter the speed into the text box Speed and select the units from the drop-down menu.
Step 3
Enter the distance covered into the text box Distance and select the units from the drop-down menu.
Step 4
Enter the body weight into the text box Weight and select the units from the drop-down menu.
Step 5
Select the gender/sex of the person from the drop-down menu Sex.
Step 6
Press the Submit button to get the results.
Results
The results appear as an extension to the calculator’s interface containing two sections labeled “Metabolic Properties” and “Pace,” along with the option to convert the values between metric and non-metric units at the top-right corner of each section.
The first section covers the various health aspects of the calculations like the energy expended, fat burned, oxygen consumed, and the MET value of the particular activity. The second shows the activity’s pace (time/distance) in various units of distance and time.
For the example scenario, the calculator outputs the following results in the Metabolic Properties section:
Energy Expenditure: 723.8 kJ (kilojoules)
Fat Burned: 0.02245 kg (kilograms)
Oxygen Consumption: 34.64 L (liters)
Metabolic Equivalent: 3.3 metabolic equivalents
And various units in the Pace section: 0.2071 hours/km, 12.43 min/km, 0.7456 sec/m, and 8.731–8.748 hours/length of a marathon race.
How Does the Biking Calorie Calculator Work?
The Biking Calorie Calculator works by using the following equation to calculate the calories burned:
\[ \text{kcals burned} = \text{kcals burned per minute} (\frac{1}{60}) \times \text{time spent exercising} \tag*{$(1)$}\]
Where the kcals burned per minute are:
\[ \text{kcals/minute} = \frac{\text{oxygen consumed per minute}}{200 \text{ mL/kcal}} \tag*{$(2)$} \]
And the oxygen consumed per minute:
\[ \begin{aligned} \text{oxygen/minute} (\frac{1}{60}) = {} & \text{activity MET} \times \text{body weight} \\ & \! \times \text{ oxygen in 1 MET} \end{aligned} \tag*{$(3)$} \]
Note that:
1 dietary calorie = 1 large calorie = 1 kcal = 1000 calories
1 cal = 4.184 joules (J)
1 kcal = 4.184 kilojoules (kJ)
Definition of MET
A metabolic equivalent, or MET, is the amount of oxygen consumed by a person per unit of time per unit of bodyweight at the Resting/Basal Metabolic Rate RMR/BMR.
You can think of it as the oxygen consumed by a person during an activity. In metric units, one MET is approximately equal to 3.5 milliliters per kilogram per minute or, more precisely, 3.572041903 mL/kg.min. Thus, in equation (3):
oxygen in 1 MET = 3.572041903 mL/kg.min $\approx$ 3.572 mL/kg.min
And equation (1) finally becomes:
\[ \text{kcals burned} = \text{time spent} \times \frac{\text{activity MET} \times 3.572 \times \text{body weight}}{200 \text{ mL/kcal}} \tag*{$(4)$} \]
METs have been experimentally assigned to various activities and tables can be easily found online. The calculator looks up the CDC database or uses linear interpolation if it encounters an unknown speed for an activity (for which the MET has not been tabulated).
RMR/BMR varies from person to person. Hence, METs only offer estimates rather than exact calculations.
Speed, Distance, and Time
Speed gauges the level of physical exertion, and distance is an effectively measurable quantity to get us the required time spent. The formula involved is:
\[ \text{time} = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{speed}} \tag*{$(5)$} \]
In equation (1), the value of time spent comes from the above equation.
Solved Examples
Example 1
Find the energy expended by a man weighing 75 kilograms who ran 5 kilometers at a speed of 8 miles per hour. How much fat did he burn? How much oxygen did he consume during the exercise?
Solution
MET for running at 8 mph = 13. Given that 1 mph = 1.61 kph (since 1 mile = 1.61 kilometers), we have 8 mph = 8 x 1.61 = 12.88 kph. Then, from equation (5):
time = (5 km) / (12.88 km/h) = 0.3882 hours = 0.3882 x 60 = 23.292 minutes
Using equation (3), we get the oxygen consumed per minute:
oxygen/min = 13 x 3.572 mL/kg.min x 75 kg = 3482.7 mL/min = 3.4827 L/min
Multiplying by time, we get the total oxygen consumed:
total oxygen consumed = 23.292 mins x 3482.7 mL/min = 81120 mL = 81.12 L
From equation (2), we find the calories burned per minute:
kcals burned per minute = (3482.7 mL/min) / (200 mL/kcal) = 17.4135 kcals/min
Multiplying by time as in equation (1), we get the total calories burned:
total kcals = 23.292 mins x 17.4135 kcals/min = 405.6 kcals = 1697 kJ
Assuming 1 kg of fat = 7700 kcals, then:
fat burned = 405.6 kcals / (7700 kcals/kg) = 0.052675 kg