MET Values Exercise Calorie Burn 2025: Compendium 2024 Updated Reference
Core Conclusion
1 MET = 3.5 mL O₂/kg/min resting oxygen consumption, approximately 1 kcal/kg/hour. Calorie burn formula: kcal = MET value × body mass kg × duration hours. The 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities assigns population-average MET intensity codes: walking 3 mph ≈ 3.5, running 5 mph ≈ 8.3, running 10 mph ≈ 16.0, swimming laps 50yd/min ≈ 8.0, cycling 12-13.9 mph ≈ 8.0, hatha yoga ≈ 2.5, general weightlifting ≈ 5.0, gardening ≈ 3.5, cleaning ≈ 3.0, desk work ≈ 1.5, sleeping ≈ 0.95. Worked example: 70kg running 60 minutes at 8 mph (MET 11.8) ≈ 826 kcal. MET values are population reference estimates, not individually calibrated measurements.
Metabolic Equivalent of Task, universally abbreviated MET, is the standard intensity unit used in physical activity epidemiology, exercise science research, and public health survey methodology. A single number — the MET value — summarizes the intensity of a specific physical activity relative to a seated resting baseline. The Compendium of Physical Activities, maintained and periodically updated by the University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center under the editorship of Barbara Ainsworth and colleagues, is the canonical reference source for standardized MET intensity codes across hundreds of specific physical activity categories. This page documents the formal MET definition, traces the 31-year history of Compendium editions from 1993 through the 2024 Tracking Guide update, presents the calorie expenditure formula in full with worked examples, and publishes reference MET tables for the 25 most commonly encountered daily and exercise activities.
Readers who wish to compute estimated energy expenditure for specific body weights, durations, and activity types can use the [Exercise Calorie Burn Calculator + ../tools/exercise-calorie-calculator.html] which implements the MET × kg × hours formula with a built-in activity intensity selector pre-populated with 2024 Compendium values. Daily energy expenditure analysis including resting and active components is available through the related BMR and TDEE tools linked elsewhere on this site.
Definition MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task): 1 MET = Resting Oxygen Consumption 3.5 mL O₂/kg/min ≈ 1 kcal/kg/hour
The MET unit is anchored to a physiological reference standard. By longstanding convention in exercise physiology, one MET (1.0 MET) is defined as the resting metabolic rate of a seated adult human at quiet rest. The formal oxygen-consumption basis of this standard is 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body mass per minute, written 3.5 mL O₂/kg/min. This resting value was originally derived from measurements on a reference 70-kilogram adult male and has been retained as the unit-defining standard across all Compendium editions for consistency with decades of prior research literature.
The approximate kilocalorie-per-hour equivalent of 1 MET is 1 kilocalorie per kilogram of body mass per hour (1 kcal/kg/hour). This kcal equivalence is what makes the MET unit practically useful for energy expenditure calculations, and it is the form in which MET values are most commonly encountered outside specialized exercise physiology laboratories. Readers should note that the 1 kcal/kg/hour equivalence is an approximation. The exact caloric equivalent of oxygen consumption depends on the respiratory quotient of the substrate mixture being oxidized at the cellular level, which varies slightly between fat oxidation, carbohydrate oxidation, and mixed substrate oxidation. For population-level reference purposes, the 1 kcal/kg/hour approximation is universally adopted in Compendium-derived calculations.
Intensities above the 1.0 MET baseline are expressed as multiples of resting. An activity assigned a MET value of 3.0 therefore consumes oxygen (and, by approximation, energy) at approximately three times the seated resting rate. An activity assigned MET 10.0 proceeds at approximately ten times resting intensity. The MET scale is linear in this multiplicative sense, meaning that MET 8.0 is exactly twice the intensity multiple of MET 4.0 relative to baseline.
2024 Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide Update (History: 1993 → 2000 → 2011 → 2024)
The Compendium of Physical Activities originated in 1993 as a collaborative project led by Barbara E. Ainsworth, then at the University of Minnesota, with co-authors from the Cooper Institute and the National Cancer Institute. The 1993 paper was published to solve a specific methodological problem in physical activity epidemiology: different survey instruments were coding similar activities under different intensity assumptions, making cross-study comparisons difficult or impossible. The first Compendium assigned standardized five-digit activity codes and corresponding MET intensity values to approximately 500 specific physical activities, creating a common reference language for survey researchers.
A 2000 Compendium update, again led by Ainsworth, expanded the activity catalog, refined MET values for several categories based on newly published exercise calorimetry studies, and introduced additional descriptive subcategories for occupational and household activities. The 2000 update also formalized the convention of presenting MET values as either single-point estimates or narrow intensity ranges depending on the specificity of the activity description.
The 2011 Compendium update, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (MSSE), represented the most comprehensive revision at that date. The 2011 edition included over 800 activity codes, incorporated new indirect calorimetry data from doubly labeled water studies, and split several broad activity categories into finer-grained subcodes reflecting intensity differences (for example, separating casual walking at 2.0 mph from brisk walking at 4.0 mph, or separating recreational swimming laps from competitive swim training intensities).
The 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide, the current reference edition at time of writing, is published and maintained online by the Prevention Research Center at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health. The 2024 Tracking Guide preserves the coding architecture of the 2011 MSSE edition while updating selected MET coefficients, adding contemporary activity categories not present in earlier editions, and providing cross-reference mappings to international physical activity coding systems. All MET values presented in the tables below are drawn from the 2024 reference set as cataloged by the University of South Carolina team.
Calorie Burn Formula: kcal = MET × kg × hours
The standard formula for estimating energy expenditure from a known MET value, a known body mass, and a known activity duration is expressed as: Energy in kilocalories equals the MET intensity value multiplied by the person's body mass in kilograms multiplied by the activity duration in hours. Written symbolically:
kcal = MET × kg × h
Where MET is the published Compendium intensity coefficient for the specific activity, kg is body mass measured on a scale in kilograms, and h is elapsed time measured in decimal hours. Because real-world durations are often recorded in minutes rather than fractional hours, a minutes-converted form of the formula is frequently more convenient: divide the minutes value by 60 to produce hours, then multiply through.
kcal = MET × kg × (minutes ÷ 60)
The divisor 60 converts minutes to hours to match the per-hour definition of the MET unit. Both forms are mathematically equivalent; the choice between them is purely a matter of the unit in which duration is recorded. For example, 90 minutes is entered as 1.5 hours in the first form, or as (90 ÷ 60) = 1.5 in the second form, producing identical arithmetic results.
Detailed MET Intensity Table (25+ Activities, 2024 Compendium Reference Values)
The table below lists approximate 2024 Compendium MET intensity values for 25+ common daily, household, occupational, and exercise activities. Activities are grouped by broad category for readability. Where the Compendium specifies a narrow intensity range for a general activity description, a representative midpoint value is listed. Readers requiring the precise five-digit activity code, exact subcategory distinctions, or full methodological notes for any specific entry should consult the primary 2024 Compendium Tracking Guide published by the University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center, linked in the source citations section at the end of this page.
| Activity Description | Approx. MET Value (2024 Compendium) | Category Notes / Intensity Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeping (reclined, nocturnal sleep) | 0.95 | Quiet reclined rest baseline |
| Quiet sitting, reading, watching TV | 1.3 | Seated sedentary rest |
| Desk work, seated, typing / light computer | 1.5 | Office sedentary occupational |
| Standing light office work, filing | 1.8 | Standing light activity |
| Cooking / food preparation, standing | 2.0 to 2.5 | Household light |
| Walking, slow pace 2.0 mph (30:00/mile) | 2.8 | Level surface, firm ground |
| Yoga, Hatha / general gentle yoga practice | 2.5 | Mind-body low intensity |
| Walking, moderate pace 3.0 mph (20:00/mile) | 3.5 | Level surface, average pace |
| Household cleaning, vacuuming / mopping | 3.0 to 3.5 | General indoor chores |
| Gardening, weeding / planting / raking | 3.5 to 4.5 | Light-to-moderate outdoor |
| Walking, brisk pace 3.5 mph (17:09/mile) | 4.3 | Purposeful brisk walking |
| Weightlifting, general / light circuit training | 5.0 | General strength session |
| Walking, very brisk 4.0 mph (15:00/mile) | 5.0 | Fast walking level ground |
| Golf, walking course (pulling cart) | 4.5 to 5.0 | Recreational sport |
| Dancing, aerobic / Zumba-style moderate | 6.0 to 7.0 | Group fitness moderate |
| Cycling outdoors, leisure 10-11.9 mph | 6.8 | Recreational cycling level |
| Swimming laps, recreational 50 yd/min pace | 8.0 | Freestyle / mixed laps moderate |
| Cycling outdoors, moderate 12-13.9 mph | 8.0 | Moderate effort cycling |
| Running, jogging pace 5.0 mph (12:00/mile) | 8.3 | Jogging level firm ground |
| Basketball, recreational pickup game | 8.0 | Recreational team sport |
| Tennis, singles recreational match | 8.0 | Racket sport singles |
| Running, moderate pace 6.0 mph (10:00/mile) | 9.8 | Moderate running pace |
| Running, faster pace 7.0 mph (8:34/mile) | 11.0 | Vigorous running pace |
| Running, 8.0 mph (7:30/mile) tempo pace | 11.8 | Tempo pace running |
| Running, 9.0 mph (6:40/mile) fast training | 12.8 | Fast training running pace |
| Running, 10.0 mph (6:00/mile) racing pace | 16.0 | Competitive 10k pace range |
| Cycling, vigorous 14-15.9 mph racing effort | 10.0 to 12.0 | Vigorous cycling training |
| HIIT / interval circuit, vigorous intensity | 8.0 to 12.0+ | Session average varies by interval |
Worked Calculation Example: 70 kg Person Running 60 Minutes at 8 mph (MET 11.8)
This worked example demonstrates full step-by-step application of the standard MET calorie burn formula using realistic input values. Input parameters: Body mass = 70 kilograms (measured on scale). Activity = Running at 8.0 miles per hour flat pace on firm level ground, corresponding to Compendium MET intensity code ≈ 11.8. Duration = 60 minutes continuous.
Step 1: Write the Minutes-Form Formula
kcal = MET × kg × (minutes ÷ 60)
Step 2: Substitute the Known Numeric Values
kcal = 11.8 × 70 × (60 ÷ 60)
Step 3: Compute Minutes to Hours First (Parentheses First by Conventional Order of Operations)
60 minutes ÷ 60 = 1.0 hour exactly for this example.
Step 4: Multiply Through the Remaining Terms
kcal = 11.8 × 70 × 1.0 = 826 kcal
Step 5: Reference Interpretation
For this 70-kilogram person running a sustained 8-mph pace for a full 60 minutes, the MET-estimated gross energy expenditure is approximately 826 kilocalories. This figure represents the total energy cost of the activity session computed by the standard population-average formula. The same 60-minute session at the same 8-mph pace would compute to approximately 708 kcal for a 60-kilogram person and approximately 944 kcal for an 80-kilogram person, illustrating the linear scaling of the formula with body mass at fixed MET and fixed duration.
Cross-Weight Calorie Burn Comparison Table (60 kg, 70 kg, 80 kg — 8 Common Activities, 1 Hour Duration)
The table below applies the kcal = MET × kg × hours formula to eight high-frequency activities across three reference body masses (60 kg, 70 kg, 80 kg) for a standardized duration of exactly one hour. All values are in kilocalories and represent the population-average Compendium estimate for a flat, level, standard-condition environment.
| Activity (1 hour duration) | MET | 60 kg Person (kcal) | 70 kg Person (kcal) | 80 kg Person (kcal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping (nocturnal 8h example normalized to 1h) | 0.95 | 57 | 66.5 | 76 |
| Desk work, seated typing | 1.5 | 90 | 105 | 120 |
| Walking, 3.0 mph moderate | 3.5 | 210 | 245 | 280 |
| Gardening, weeding / raking | 3.5 | 210 | 245 | 280 |
| Yoga, Hatha general practice | 2.5 | 150 | 175 | 200 |
| Weightlifting, general circuit | 5.0 | 300 | 350 | 400 |
| Swimming laps, rec 50 yd/min | 8.0 | 480 | 560 | 640 |
| Running, 5.0 mph jogging | 8.3 | 498 | 581 | 664 |
| Running, 8.0 mph tempo | 11.8 | 708 | 826 | 944 |
kcal/minute Quick-Reference Sub-table
For short-duration activities where minute-level granularity is convenient, the table below presents per-minute kilocalorie expenditure values (kcal/min) computed for the same eight reference activities and three reference body masses. Per-minute values are the 1-hour values from the table above divided by 60. All values rounded to one decimal place for readability.
| Activity | 60 kg (kcal/min) | 70 kg (kcal/min) | 80 kg (kcal/min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping | 0.95 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Desk work | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2.0 |
| Walking 3 mph | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| Gardening | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| Hatha Yoga | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| Weightlifting | 5.0 | 5.8 | 6.7 |
| Swimming laps | 8.0 | 9.3 | 10.7 |
| Running 5 mph | 8.3 | 9.7 | 11.1 |
| Running 8 mph | 11.8 | 13.8 | 15.7 |
Published Limitations: Individual Fitness, Wind Grade, Technique
The Compendium editors and exercise science researchers have extensively documented the limitations of applying population-average MET values to specific individuals. Four categories of limitation are most frequently cited in the published literature and in the Compendium methodological notes.
First, individual cardiorespiratory fitness modifies the relative oxygen cost of a given absolute intensity. A highly trained endurance athlete performing at a given absolute speed or load may do so at a lower percentage of maximum oxygen uptake (lower relative intensity) than a less-trained peer, but the Compendium MET coefficient reflects the population average absolute oxygen cost of that speed or load, not individual relative intensity.
Second, environmental and terrain factors are not captured by the standard flat-level-ground MET coefficients. Wind resistance adds non-linear energy cost at higher running and cycling speeds. Uphill or downhill grade changes the mechanical work of walking and running substantially; separate hill-grade MET codes exist in the full Compendium for specified slopes, but the flat-level values presented in common reference tables assume zero grade. Surface hardness, such as grass versus asphalt versus concrete, introduces smaller but measurable variance.
Third, technique and movement efficiency affect skill-based activities including cycling, swimming, and weightlifting. Experienced swimmers use less oxygen per unit distance than novice swimmers at the same absolute pace due to improved stroke mechanics and reduced drag. Experienced cyclists draft more effectively and hold smoother power outputs. These efficiency variances are well documented in exercise physiology studies and are not captured by a single population-average MET code.
Fourth, body composition influences the kcal output computation. The MET formula scales linearly with total body mass in kilograms, but adipose tissue and lean tissue have different metabolic rates during activity. At a given total body mass, two individuals with different lean-to-fat ratios will carry different metabolically active lean mass, introducing variance between the Compendium linear-mass-scaled estimate and indirect calorimetry measurement. The Compendium editors characterize MET values as reference estimates for population-level survey coding and epidemiological comparison, not as individually calibrated laboratory-grade calorie measurements for any single person.