Calories Burned Swimming Calculator

How to Calculate Calories Burned While Swimming

Calculating the calories burned during swimming involves considering several factors, including your weight, swimming intensity, and duration. This calculation provides an estimate of energy expenditure during your swim.

Calories Burned Swimming Formula

The formula used to calculate calories burned while swimming is:

$$\text{Calories Burned} = \frac{\text{MET} \times 3.5 \times \text{Weight (kg)} \times \text{Duration (minutes)}}{200}$$

Where:

• MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task): A measure of swimming intensity relative to resting metabolism
• 3.5: A constant representing the average resting oxygen consumption in mL/kg/min
• Weight: Your body weight in kilograms
• Duration: The time spent swimming in minutes
• 200: A conversion factor to adjust the result to calories

Calculation Steps

1. Determine your weight in kilograms.
2. Select the appropriate swimming intensity (light, moderate, or vigorous).
3. Determine the corresponding MET value based on the intensity.
4. Input the duration of your swim in minutes.
5. Apply the formula to calculate calories burned.

Example Calculation

Let's calculate the calories burned for a person with the following details:

• Weight: 70 kg
• Swimming Intensity: Moderate (freestyle or breaststroke)
• Duration: 30 minutes

Step 1: Determine the MET value

For moderate intensity swimming, the MET value is approximately 8.3

Step 2: Apply the formula

$$\begin{align} \text{Calories Burned} &= \frac{8.3 \times 3.5 \times 70 \times 30}{200} \\ &= \frac{6100.5}{200} \\ &= 305.025 \text{ calories} \end{align}$$

Therefore, this person burns approximately 305 calories during their 30-minute moderate intensity swim.

Visual Representation

This bar chart compares the calories burned during a 30-minute session of various activities for a person weighing 70 kg. It visually demonstrates how moderate intensity swimming compares to other common exercises in terms of calorie expenditure.