Cycling Calorie Calculator: Simply Figure Out How Many You Burned

May 18, 2021

How many calories burned while cycling is a question that concerns the practitioner. Your estimation can be easy. However, to have an exact number is “not hard to imagine but hard to imagine”. This is a question that many practitioners have a headache. So how many calories do you burn per hour of exercise? You can easily use a cycling calorie calculator!

How does cycling burn calories?

Before calculating the calories burned during cycling you should learn about its mechanism of action. Cycling will require you to use more muscles. The body then uses the oxygen you breathe in to metabolize fats and sugars in the body. Or sometimes protein can be converted to adenosine triphosphate or ATP. This is the basic molecule that powers cells.

Depending on the duration and intensity of your workout, your body will determine whether it needs to make more ATP. Your body uses anaerobic metabolism to convert carbohydrates into ATP during short intense workouts. Conversely, if you exercise at a low intensity for several days, your body gets ATP from aerobic metabolism.

How to calculate calories burned while cycling?

Calculating calories burned while cycling depends on many different factors. Including external factors. Whether you choose to cycle at the gym or outdoors will bring about quite a big change.

Ride a stationary bike

Static cycling at the gym will provide the most ideal training environment. Because you will not need to take into account the factors of drag or terrain. At the same time, riding a stationary bike also helps you to focus the most on cycling. However, this does not help you burn more calories than cycling outdoors.

The number of calories burned during cycling will depend a lot on each person’s weight. At a moderate speed of about 8-8.5km/h for 30 minutes, the energy consumed:

- A person about 60 kg is 210 calories
- A person about 75kg is 260 calories

Riding a bike outside

Outdoor cycling is considered by experts to bring a greater ability to burn calories. Because the terrain is uneven, hills, bends as well as wind resistance will make you need more energy. Cycling at a moderate pace outdoors can burn calories in a 30-minute period:

- A person about 60kg is 240 calories
- A person about 75kg is 298 calories
- A person about 90kg is 355 calories

Especially for those who choose to ride a mountain bike or mountain bike, the calorie consumption will be even greater. The following calories are burned in mountain biking or mountain climbing for 30 minutes:

- A person about 60 kg is 255 calories
- A person about 75kg is 316 calories
- A person about 90kg is 377 calories

Formula to calculate calories consumed while cycling

In order to know how many calories cycling burns, you need to understand how it is calculated. Actual energy expenditure is calculated based on metabolic equivalents, or MET. Calorie-burn research estimates a person burns about 5 calories per liter of oxygen consumed.

This calculation uses the MET value (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) of Cycling. The MET value of Cycling = 7.2. We multiply the MET value with the person\’s body weight in kilograms. Then we multiply this with 0.0175 and the duration in minutes.

A person weighs: 180 lbs
MET value of Cycling: 7.2
Time: 30 minutes

The calorie calculation for Cycling for 30 minutes is as follows:

(180/2.20462) * 7.2 * 0.0175 * 30 minutes = 309

=> 30 minutes of Cycling burns 309 kcal.

The faster the workout, the greater the oxygen and MET requirements. According to experts, the average MET of stationary cycling is 8.0, while mountain biking with vigorous effort is 14.0 MET. However, people have different calorie consumption based on their own metabolic rate.

Several factors affect how many calories are burned when cycling

Unfortunately, calculating calories burned online can be misleading by up to 20%, depending on how you train. For runners this calculation will be more accurate. While cyclists will be affected by many factors. Calorie burned based on distance can be wrong if you are going downhill. At this time speed and distance increase, while you burn very little energy.

Aerodynamics

A big factor that makes calorie calculations all the more difficult. Aerodynamics is affected not only by wind direction and speed but also by surface area. The larger your front surface area, the greater your aerodynamic drag. If you have a large body, upright pedaling posture, and loose clothing, you will need more energy to hold the air. A skinny racer in a tight suit with weight on the leg will also have less drag. Other factors that affect calorie calculations include rolling resistance, tire width, road surface, and weight (combined with gravity).

Diet

Also one of the issues that greatly affect calories burned. Although you can easily calculate how many calories you consume. However, that doesn’t mean you can eat all you want. Improper eating can affect your ability to absorb and metabolize energy. To burn carbs you need to train with intensity. Whereas to burn fat you need long-distance exercises but with lower intensity. It’s not easy to burn the food you consume, is it? Eat right to control the number of calories burned.

Cycling into the wind

For example, there’s a considerable difference between cycling 20 mph with a tailwind or into a powerful headwind. When cycling into the wind, you’ll use a lot more energy getting up to speed, and therefore also burn more calories.

Cycling in pelotons

The same applies to cycling in a peloton, or closely behind another cyclist. The partial vacuum of a slipstream will make it much easier for you to pedal than the cyclist in front of you. You will only truly notice the difference when you are within a meter of the cyclist in front.

Cycling on a second-rate bike

You’ll use more energy than a cyclist on a good bike, with pumped-up tires and wheels that aren’t buckled. So if you’re looking to burn more calories while cycling at a certain speed, one option is to cycle on an old bike with under-inflated tires.

How to increase calories burned while cycling

If you’re cycling at a moderate, steady pace and without a lot of resistance, you’re mostly using your aerobic metabolism. This only helps to improve heart and lung function and health. It does not make your body use glucose at all, nor does it effectively lose weight.

To increase the number of calories burned as well as increase the effectiveness of weight loss and health improvement you can:

Resistance

Instead of pedaling at ease on a stationary bike, add resistance. You should be between 70 and 80 rounds per minute for the best calorie and fat burning. You can also use ankle weights, but you should pay attention to the weight to ensure at least 30 minutes of cycling. Start with light weights, then increase the weight as you increase your strength.

Power Spurs

Pushing through the entire cycling session is an effective way to burn more calories. At a faster pace for two minutes every ten minutes can make a difference in the workout. It can also make your workout journey less strenuous thanks to periods of rest. However, you should consult with your doctor when planning an exercise plan to best suit your condition.

Posture

Posture is also a determining factor in how many calories you burn while cycling. Sit up straight and let your hands gently touch the handlebars. If you grip the handlebars too tightly, you won’t get the most out of your legs. You can also adjust the car to best suit your body. Don’t position the saddle too high or too low for you.

Moderation

Although speeding is usually fine for some cyclists. But you certainly don’t want to maintain that speed for the entire ride. Please adjust the speed yourself. After a few sessions, you will know when your body is operating at maximum fat levels. Some treadmills even have a calorie or fat-burning function.

Knowing exactly how many calories you’re burning during a ride-going to require specific technology, like WellTraining. Use our app to calculate the number of calories burned while cycling, have you tried?

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