What is MET (Metabolic Equivalent Task)?The metabolic equivalent task (MET) is a unit of measurement used to estimate the energy expenditure of physical activity. One MET is defined as the energy expenditure of sitting at rest, and is equal to about 1 kcal/kg/hour. Physical activities are often classified by their MET values, which can range from 0.9 (sleeping) to 16 ( running). What are some MET values for some exercises?Here are some MET values for some exercises:
Sleeping: 0.9 METs
Walking: 3.0 METs
Running: 8.0 METs
Bicycling: 8.0 METs
Swimming: 7.5 METs
How can I use exercise MET values to calculate calories burned?To calculate the number of calories burned during an activity, you can use the following formula:
Calories burned = MET value x body weight (in kg) x time (in hours)
For example, if a person weighs 70 kg and spends 30 minutes walking at a MET value of 3.0, they would burn:
3.0 x 70 kg x 0.5 hours = 105 calories
How can I use MET values to compare different activities?You can use MET values to compare the energy expenditure of different activities. For example, if you know that walking has a MET value of 3.0 and running has a MET value of 8.0, you can conclude that running burns more calories than walking.