Calories Burned Cycling (Moderate) for 1 hour

Calories burned by body weight

Pace context: Cycling (Moderate) is approximately 12-14 mph.

What this means

MET (8) is the intensity multiplier — 8x your resting energy expenditure at this pace. For a 70 kg adult, that\'s about 9.3 kcal per minute, or 560 kcal across the full 1 hour session. Heavier individuals burn more for the same activity duration because moving more mass requires more energy.

For weight management context: 560 kcal is equivalent to about 5.6 medium apples, 2.1 slices of cheese pizza, or 3.4 servings of cooked chicken breast. To lose 1 lb of fat requires approximately a 3,500 kcal deficit (though Kevin Hall\'s 2011 Lancet model shows this overpredicts long-term loss by 30-50%).

Don\'t double-count. If you used a TDEE calculator with an activity multiplier (sedentary, light, moderate, very active), your maintenance calories already include typical exercise. Adding back exercise calories on top will under-eat your real maintenance. If you tracked only BMR and add exercise separately, eat back 50-70% of the estimate to account for compensation behaviour (Hall et al., NIH).

Other durations of cycling (moderate)

Related activities

Use the calculators

• Calories Burned Calculator (60+ activities, custom duration + weight)
• Heart Rate Zones Calculator
• Calorie Deficit Calculator
• TDEE Calculator
• VO₂ Max Calculator

Frequently asked questions

How many calories does cycling at a moderate pace for 1 hour burn?

Cycling at a moderate pace for 1 hour burns approximately 560 kcal for a 70 kg adult. The exact number depends on body weight — heavier individuals burn proportionally more. See the per-weight table above for your specific number. Calculation uses MET 8 from the Ainsworth 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities.

How accurate is this calorie estimate?

For steady-state moderate-intensity activities, MET-based estimates are within ±15% of indirect calorimetry for population averages. Individual error can be ±25% due to fitness level, efficiency, and body composition. The 2017 Stanford study (Shcherbina et al.) found wearable devices have similar error ranges (Apple Watch ~27%, Samsung Gear S2 ~93% mean absolute error). For tracking trends day-to-day, MET estimates are reliable; for absolute calorie counts, treat as ±20%.

Should I eat back the calories I burn?

Partly. Most adults overestimate exercise calories and over-eat back. Hall and colleagues at NIH have demonstrated that compensation behavior (eating more, moving less) typically erases 50-75% of exercise calorie burn over a week. If using a TDEE × activity multiplier (sedentary to very active), the multiplier already includes typical exercise — don't double-count by eating back tracker calories. If tracking BMR + adding exercise separately, eat back 50-70% of the estimate.

What's a MET?

A MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is the energy cost of an activity relative to resting. 1 MET = 3.5 mL O2 per kg per minute = approximately 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour. Cycling (Moderate) at MET 8 means it costs 8x more energy than sitting at rest. The Ainsworth 2011 Compendium catalogues MET values for 800+ activities and is the standard reference used by exercise scientists, clinicians, and fitness apps.