Breaststroke calories burned
Quick answer
Swimming breaststroke burns about 238 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 476 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 238 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 476 kcal
- MET used
- 7.8
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Easy uses the Compendium's recreational breaststroke row and Hard its training or competition row. Moderate sits between them.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for breaststroke. Pick the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5.3 MET | 108 kcal | 129 kcal | 151 kcal | 172 kcal | 194 kcal | 215 kcal |
| Moderate7.8 MET | 170 kcal | 204 kcal | 238 kcal | 272 kcal | 306 kcal | 340 kcal |
| Hard10.3 MET | 233 kcal | 279 kcal | 326 kcal | 372 kcal | 419 kcal | 465 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5.3 MET | 215 kcal | 258 kcal | 301 kcal | 344 kcal | 387 kcal | 430 kcal |
| Moderate7.8 MET | 340 kcal | 408 kcal | 476 kcal | 544 kcal | 612 kcal | 680 kcal |
| Hard10.3 MET | 465 kcal | 558 kcal | 651 kcal | 744 kcal | 837 kcal | 930 kcal |
- Easy:
- Relaxed, light effort.
- Moderate:
- Steady, noticeable effort. New logs in the app start here.
- Hard:
- Demanding and hard to keep up.
How this is calculated
Calories burned = (MET − 1) × body weight in kg × time in hours
MET compares the energy an activity uses with sitting at rest. Nibbs takes away 1 MET, the energy your body uses at rest (about 1 kcal per kg per hour), so it counts only the extra calories from the activity. The app rounds the result to the nearest whole kcal.
Worked example (Moderate, 70 kg, 30 minutes): (7.8 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 238 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 5.3 | 18265 |
| Moderate | 7.8 | Effort model |
| Hard | 10.3 | Effort model |
Compendium row for breaststroke: code 18265, 5.3 MET.Compendium wording: “Swimming, breaststroke, recreational”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 18265, 18260. They are not separate measurements of breaststroke. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does swimming breaststroke burn in an hour?
About 476 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 340 kcal and a 100 kg person about 680 kcal.
Does swimming breaststroke burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 151 kcal at easy effort, 238 kcal at moderate effort and 326 kcal at hard effort. Choose the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
Why are these numbers lower than some other calculators?
Nibbs counts only the calories you burn above your resting rate. It takes away 1 MET, about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour, because your body burns that much even when you sit still. Calculators that count total calories include this resting energy, so their numbers are higher.
How do I log breaststroke in Nibbs?
Add Swimming - Breaststroke from the exercise library, enter how long you did it and pick Easy, Moderate or Hard. Nibbs uses the weight in your profile to estimate the calories. You can replace the estimate with your own number.
Log breaststroke in Nibbs and get a calorie estimate automatically
Nibbs has a library of more than 1,200 exercises. Add a workout and Nibbs uses your weight to estimate the calories, next to the meals you log.
Calories burned in related activities
Values are kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person, at the app's default effort level or the pace shown on each page.