Energy expenditure of different activities

Alfredo Valdés 7 min. of reading Sports Leave a comment

The energy expenditure throughout the day is key when setting goals and planning the right diet. Here’s a summary of the most common activities and their average energy expenditure.

Average energy expenditure [(kcal/ min) / kg]	Activity	Activity description
0,016	Inactivity	Sleeping
0,017	Inactivity	Lying down
0,018	Inactivity	Sitting
0,019	Inactivity	Standing still
0,018	Light inactivity	Writing, sitting, talking
0,018	Light inactivity	Reading reclined
0,096	Physical conditioning	Stationary bike, 100 W, light effort
0,123	Physical conditioning	Stationary bike, 170 W, moderate effort
0,044	Physical conditioning	Stretching, yoga.
0,061	Physical conditioning	Pilates.
0,088	Physical conditioning	Low-impact aerobics.
0,061	Physical conditioning	Climbing stairs without weight
0,088	Physical conditioning	Climbing stairs with 5 kg weight
0,105	Physical conditioning	Climbing stairs with 10 kg weight
0,070	Work activity	Shopkeeper
0,018	Work activity	Sitting, administrative tasks
0,123	Work activity	Bricklayer
0,044	Work activity	Hairdresser
0,053	Household activities	Intense cleaning
0,070	Household activities	Playing with kids
0,053	Household activities	Walking while pushing a stroller
0,018 – 0,035	Sexual activity	Depending on effort
0,070	Water activities	Aqua-aerobics
0,123	Water activities	Freestyle swimming (crawl)
0,123	Water activities	Backstroke swimming
0,140	Water activities	Butterfly stroke swimming
0,114	Water activities	Breaststroke swimming
0,053	Walking	Walking the dog
0,049	Walking	Walking at 4 km/h, downhill
0,058	Walking	Walking at 4,8 km/h, flat terrain
0,067	Walking	Walking at 5,6 km/h, flat terrain
0,105	Walking	Walking at 5,6 km/h, uphill
0,088	Walking	Walking at 6,2 km/h, brisk pace
0,110	Walking	Walking at 6,8 km/h
0,131	Walking	Walking at 7,5 km/h, very brisk pace
0,131	Running	Jogging at 7,5 km/h.
0,145	Running	Running at 8,3 km/h
0,170	Running	Running at 9,7 km/h
0,184	Running	Running at 10,5 km/h
0,196	Running	Running at 11,2 km/h
0,210	Running	Running at 12 km/h
0,224	Running	Running at 12,8 km/h
0,236	Running	Running at 13,5 km/h
0,245	Running	Running at 14 km/h
0,254	Running	Running at 14,5 km/h
0,268	Running	Running at 15,3 km/h
0,280	Running	Running at 16 km/h
0,298	Running	Running at 17 km/h
0,315	Running	Running at 18 km/h
0,018	Driving	Driving a vehicle, sitting
0,044	Driving	Riding a motorcycle
0,052	Weight training*	30% RM
0,058	Weight training*	50% RM
0,081	Weight training*	70% RM
0,088	Weight training*	80% RM
0,061	Sport	Golf
0,070	Sport	Gymnastics, rhythmic, equestrian, tai-chi
0,123	Sport	Tennis, padel, badminton, volleyball, etc.
0,210	Sport	Football, handball, basketball, etc.
0,193	Sport	Climbing
0,140	Sport	Judo, karate, boxing, etc.

* Average between men and women. Usually, men burn a bit more since they have more strength and can move heavier weights (their % of RM is higher).

Calculation examples:

1. A person weighing 80 kg doing about 1 hour of weight training at 80%RM intensity will burn during the activity:

Energy expenditure = 0,088 · 60 min · 80 kg = 422,4 kcal

2. A person weighing 65 kg working as an administrative assistant with an 8-hour workday:

Energy expenditure = 0,018 · (8h · 60 min/h) · 65 kg = 561,6 kcal

For other activities not listed in the table, feel free to ask about their average energy expenditure. But before that, please try to match your activity to one in the table.

Sources

Ainsworth, B. E.; Haskell, W. L.; Whitt, M. C.; Irwin, M. L.; Swartz, A. M.; Strath, S. J., et al. (2000). Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 32(9 Suppl), S498-504.
Beckham, S. G., & Earnest, C. P. (2000). Metabolic cost of free weight circuit weight training. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 40(2), 118-125.
Benito, P. J.; Álvarez, M.; Morencos, E.; Cupeiro, R.; Díaz, V.; Peinado, A. B.; Calderón, F. J (2011). Aerobic and anaerobic energy expenditure in a circuit with six different load intensities. International Journal of Sport Science, 24(7), 174-190.
Benito, P. J.; Alvarez, M.; Diaz, V.; Peinado, A. B.; & Calderón, F. J. (2010). Aerobic energy expenditure and intensity prediction during specific circuit weight training: A pilot study. J Hum Sport Exerc, 5(2), 134-145.