What are the calculations for calories burned?
The calculation of calories burned while walking depends on factors such as your weight, walking speed, and duration. A common formula is to use the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value for walking, which is approximately 3.5 METs for moderate walking.
Calories burned per minute = MET value * 3.5 * (your weight in kg) / 200
Keep in mind that this is an estimation and may not be entirely accurate for everyone. There are various online calculators and apps that can help you estimate calories burned based on your specific parameters.
What are the details of MET calculation?
MET stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task. It’s a way to measure the energy expenditure of various activities in terms of how much they increase your metabolic rate compared to resting. One MET is defined as the energy expenditure while sitting quietly at rest, which is roughly equivalent to consuming 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min).
The formula to calculate calories burned using MET is:
Calories burned per minute = MET value * 3.5 * (your weight in kg) / 200
Where:
- MET value: The MET value for the activity (e.g., 3.5 METs for moderate walking).
- 3.5: The baseline MET value for resting.
- Your weight in kg: Your weight in kilograms.
- 200: A conversion factor to adjust the units for calories burned.
For example, if you weigh 70 kg and you’re walking at a pace that corresponds to a MET value of 3.5, the calculation would be:
Calories burned per minute = 3.5 * 3.5 * 70 / 200 = 12.25 calories per minute
Conversion from Lbs to kg:
To convert pounds (lbs) to kilograms (kg), you can use the following conversion factor:
1 pound (lb) = 0.45359237 kilograms (kg)
So, to convert a weight from pounds to kilograms, you would multiply the weight in pounds by 0.45359237. For example, if you have a weight of 150 pounds:
150 lbs * 0.45359237 = 68.1818185 kg
Remember that this is a simplified estimation, as individual factors like age, fitness level, and even terrain can influence the accuracy of the calculation.
How does speed of walking impact the MET factor?
The speed of walking directly impacts the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) factor because MET values are assigned to different activities based on their intensity, and walking at different speeds falls into different intensity categories. Generally, the faster you walk, the higher the MET value assigned to that activity.
For example, typical MET values for walking are:
- Slow pace (2-2.5 mph): Around 2-3 METs
- Moderate pace (3-4 mph): Around 3.5-4 METs
- Brisk pace (4-5 mph): Around 4.5-5.5 METs
- Fast pace (5+ mph): MET values can be higher, depending on the exact speed
As you can see, the MET value increases with the speed of walking because faster walking requires more energy expenditure, which in turn reflects a higher metabolic rate. When calculating calories burned using MET, the higher MET value associated with faster walking will result in a higher estimated calorie burn per minute.
Remember that individual factors such as your weight and fitness level also play a role in the accuracy of the calorie calculation, but speed is a key determinant of the MET factor for walking.