How to estimate calories from pool swimming?

NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I started swimming on my lunch break, on non-lifting days. I'd like to get an idea how many calories I'm burning. For walking, I use the Runner's World formula, for cycling, I use a power meter, and for swimming, I have no idea.

Today I spent 44 minutes swimming 1,525 meters, laps in a 25 meter pool. My Garmin says 482 calories, which seems like a lot.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2096337768

Is there a way to estimate from distance or pace or anything?

Replies

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    I just use the MFP entry and likely scaled it back the first time. I know you like more precision than that.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited October 2017
    There are 2 really good calculators that use distance, pace, stroke, and your current weight:
    http://www.swimmingcalculator.com/swim_calories_calculator.php

    https://caloriesburnedhq.com/calories-burned-swimming/

    What I did was calculate according to these two and get an average. I then went into the MFP database and found an entry that was close to that number and that is what I log.

    I swim one mile, breaststroke only, in an hour.

    The first calculator came up with 673 calories
    The second calculator came up with 593 calories
    Average of 633 calories
    MFP's entry for "Swimming, leisurely, general" comes up with 624 calories so that is what I use.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    I started swimming on my lunch break, on non-lifting days. I'd like to get an idea how many calories I'm burning. For walking, I use the Runner's World formula, for cycling, I use a power meter, and for swimming, I have no idea.

    Today I spent 44 minutes swimming 1,525 meters, laps in a 25 meter pool. My Garmin says 482 calories, which seems like a lot.

    https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2096337768

    Is there a way to estimate from distance or pace or anything?

    i'd say that is a pretty good estimate - one of my recent pool swims was 1400m, and I burned 280cal - and i'm smaller than you are
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