How Many Calories Burn in Cycling?

Cycling is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise that provides numerous health benefits, including weight loss and improved cardiovascular health. One of the key aspects of cycling is its ability to burn calories, making it an effective way to lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight. In this article, we will discuss how many calories cycling can burn and what factors determine the amount of calories burned while cycling.

Calories burned while cycling depend on various factors, including a person’s weight, intensity of the exercise, and duration of the workout. According to the American Council on Exercise, a person weighing 150 pounds can burn approximately 600 calories per hour cycling at a moderate intensity. On the other hand, a person weighing 200 pounds can burn around 800 calories per hour cycling at the same intensity. The intensity of the workout also plays a significant role in the number of calories burned while cycling. Cycling at a high intensity can burn more calories than cycling at a moderate intensity.

The duration of the workout is another factor that affects the number of calories burned while cycling. The longer the workout, the more calories will be burned. For example, a person weighing 150 pounds cycling at a moderate intensity for 30 minutes will burn around 300 calories. If the same person increases the duration of their workout to 60 minutes, they can burn approximately 600 calories.

The intensity of the workout is another significant factor. The harder the person works, the more calories they will burn. For example, if a person rides at a moderate pace, they will burn approximately 500-600 calories per hour. However, if they ride at a high-intensity, they can burn up to 800-1000 calories in the same amount of time.

The duration of the ride is also an important factor to consider. The longer the ride, the more calories burned. For example, if a person weighs 165 pounds and cycles for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity, they can expect to burn approximately 300 calories. However, if they cycle for an hour, they will burn twice as many calories, or approximately 600 calories.

In addition to the above factors, there are also other elements that can influence the number of calories burned while cycling, such as the resistance level of the bike, the terrain, and the type of cycling performed. For example, cycling on hills requires more effort than cycling on a flat surface, leading to a higher number of calories burned. Similarly, cycling on a stationary bike with high resistance burns more calories than cycling on a bike with low resistance.

Another important factor that determines the number of calories burned while cycling is a person’s body composition. Generally, people with more muscle mass tend to burn more calories while exercising than people with a lower percentage of muscle mass. This is because muscle burns more calories than fat, even when a person is at rest. Therefore, if a person has a higher percentage of muscle mass, they will burn more calories while cycling than a person with a lower percentage of muscle mass.

Cycling can be an effective way to burn calories and lose weight. However, it’s important to remember that cycling should not be the only form of exercise for weight loss. A healthy diet and other forms of physical activity, such as strength training and cardio, should also be included in a weight loss program.