Which burns more calories?

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82EC
82EC Posts: 123 Member
Wondering which activity burns more calories- half an hour of on road cycling or half an hour of walking?

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  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,652 Member
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    Depends on speeds and inclines
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Not enough information given but you would have to be cycling very gently to burn less calories than walking.

    Walking at 3mph is given as 3.3 METS
    Cycling at >10mph is given as 4 METS

    It's possible if you are comparing brisk walking and very gentle cycling for the walk to burn more calories.
    4mph, "level, firm surface, very brisk pace" is given as 5 METS
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,652 Member
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    Fast walking uphill crosscountry vs leisure cycling :)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,884 Member
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    I assume 200 calories per hour walking and 100 calories per 5 km cycling. So if I cycle at 20 km/hour, that's 400 calories per hour.

    That has seemed to work for me.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Fast walking uphill crosscountry vs leisure cycling :)

    Or riding up Alpe d'Huez compared to walking around a Supermarket.

    :smiley:


  • echmain3
    echmain3 Posts: 231 Member
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    In general biking burns more calories than walking because you are moving your own weight plus the weight of the bicycle over a given distance.
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
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    I would never have guessed that you burn more biking. It seems like half the time all you are doing is just coasting, not pedaling vs a brisk walk you actually get your heart rate going. interseting
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,884 Member
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    Kst76 wrote: »
    I would never have guessed that you burn more biking. It seems like half the time all you are doing is just coasting, not pedaling vs a brisk walk you actually get your heart rate going. interseting

    Really?

    You haven't ridden in flat terrain with a bit of a headwind then. Or in hilly terrain where you're slogging up a hill for 20 minutes, shooting down the other side in 2 minutes, and slogging up the next hill for the next 20 minutes and repeat.

    It's a rare day I coast half the time.
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
    edited April 2019
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Kst76 wrote: »
    I would never have guessed that you burn more biking. It seems like half the time all you are doing is just coasting, not pedaling vs a brisk walk you actually get your heart rate going. interseting

    Really?

    You haven't ridden in flat terrain with a bit of a headwind then. Or in hilly terrain where you're slogging up a hill for 20 minutes, shooting down the other side in 2 minutes, and slogging up the next hill for the next 20 minutes and repeat.

    It's a rare day I coast half the time.

    I live in Chicago so yeah...I have ridden on a flat terrain with head wind..lol.. I ride from my house towards down town, along Lake Shore Drive.
    But it's great to know. I really didn't know.
    Now, If I actually peddling non stop, riding fast, my heart rate actually goes up. That might be a different story. But that takes more than just leisure pace like somebody mentioned.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    I road cycle with an 18-speed bicycle using the most difficult gear. That burns a lot more than using a much easier gearing.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    I assume 200 calories per hour walking and 100 calories per 5 km cycling. So if I cycle at 20 km/hour, that's 400 calories per hour.

    That has seemed to work for me.

    These calorie burns seem way overstated. I’ve read that walking burns about 60 calories an hour. Even hiking up and down hills with a pack is estimated to burn 150. No idea about cycling.

  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    whmscll wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I assume 200 calories per hour walking and 100 calories per 5 km cycling. So if I cycle at 20 km/hour, that's 400 calories per hour.

    That has seemed to work for me.

    These calorie burns seem way overstated. I’ve read that walking burns about 60 calories an hour. Even hiking up and down hills with a pack is estimated to burn 150. No idea about cycling.

    Walking is about 60 kcal per mile. 200 isn't bad for a modest pace.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
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    Like others have mentioned, intensity will determine (speed, incline, resistance/gear, pace). But generally, standing exercises (walking...running) will burn more kcals vs. seated exercises when intensity is accounted for
  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
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    Kst76 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Kst76 wrote: »
    I would never have guessed that you burn more biking. It seems like half the time all you are doing is just coasting, not pedaling vs a brisk walk you actually get your heart rate going. interseting

    Really?

    You haven't ridden in flat terrain with a bit of a headwind then. Or in hilly terrain where you're slogging up a hill for 20 minutes, shooting down the other side in 2 minutes, and slogging up the next hill for the next 20 minutes and repeat.

    It's a rare day I coast half the time.

    I live in Chicago so yeah...I have ridden on a flat terrain with head wind..lol.. I ride from my house towards down town, along Lake Shore Drive.
    But it's great to know. I really didn't know.
    Now, If I actually peddling non stop, riding fast, my heart rate actually goes up. That might be a different story. But that takes more than just leisure pace like somebody mentioned.

    Not to mention the calorie burn from trying to avoid runners, walkers, and dogs on the Lake Shore Trail. And sideswiping the potholes. I feel like the potholes in Chicago are more awful than usual after this winter.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,884 Member
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    Jruzer wrote: »
    whmscll wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I assume 200 calories per hour walking and 100 calories per 5 km cycling. So if I cycle at 20 km/hour, that's 400 calories per hour.

    That has seemed to work for me.

    These calorie burns seem way overstated. I’ve read that walking burns about 60 calories an hour. Even hiking up and down hills with a pack is estimated to burn 150. No idea about cycling.

    Walking is about 60 kcal per mile. 200 isn't bad for a modest pace.

    That works then. I walk about 5.5 km/h which is 3.4 mph. 60 * 3.4 = 205 calories per hour. I round down of course. :)

    And if I'm down near the bottom of my normal BMI range, I'll actually drop it to 180 cal/h.