Metabolic equivalent (MET)

Before you rely on it

What to check

Published MET values are population averages for a given activity at a given effort.

The common error

Where people go wrong with metabolic equivalent (MET)

Reading a MET table as personal. Fitness and body size move the real cost, and two people doing the identical activity are not spending the identical energy.

Worked through

Metabolic equivalent (MET) in plain numbers

One MET is the energy cost of sitting quietly, about 1 calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour. Published compendiums list activities as multiples: walking at a moderate pace about 4.3 METs, running at 6 miles per hour about 9.8; a rough energy estimate is METs × body weight in kg × hours. For a 70 kg person, a half hour of running at 9.8 METs gives 70 × 9.8 × 0.5, about 343 calories. An hour of moderate walking gives about 301. The estimate is a reasonable average, and your own figure depends on fitness, terrain, speed and body composition.

Easily confused

Metabolic equivalent (MET) and its neighbours

A MET is not a calorie count by itself. It is a ratio to resting energy expenditure; it differs from VO2, which is measured oxygen uptake, though one MET is conventionally defined as 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram per minute; it is also different from a fitness level: a MET value describes the activity's demand, not how hard it feels to you. Something at 6 METs is moderate to vigorous depending on your fitness. Exercise guidelines often use MET-minutes per week to describe activity volume.

In real decisions

Where metabolic equivalent (MET) turns up

Researchers use METs to compare activities and to total weekly activity. Trainers and app developers use them to estimate calories burned. Clinicians use MET capacity from stress tests to gauge fitness. Calculators let you choose an activity and duration and return an estimate; it helps compare, for example, whether a walk or a swim uses more energy for the same time.

Know the edges

Where metabolic equivalent (MET) stops being reliable

Values are averages from studies and can be off by a good margin for an individual. Body weight, efficiency, environment and intensity vary. Calorie estimates from METs tend to overstate for heavier or slower people in some cases. This page is educational and not medical advice. People with health conditions should discuss exercise with a qualified clinician.

Quick answers

What people ask about metabolic equivalent (MET)

How many METs is walking? A moderate walk is about 3 to 4.5 METs depending on speed and terrain. Published activity compendiums list values for many activities.

What does moderate intensity mean in METs? Guidelines often define moderate activity as roughly 3 to 6 METs and vigorous activity as above 6. Fitness and perception vary.

Are METs the same for everyone? The tabulated values are averages. Your actual energy cost varies with body size, fitness and efficiency, so treat a calorie estimate as approximate.