Butterfly stroke calories burned
Quick answer
Swimming butterfly burns about 329 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 658 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 329 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 658 kcal
- MET used
- 10.4
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Hard uses the Compendium's general butterfly row. Easier sessions with more rest use lower rates, closer to recreational swimming.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for butterfly stroke. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy7 MET | 150 kcal | 180 kcal | 210 kcal | 240 kcal | 270 kcal | 300 kcal |
| Moderate10.4 MET | 235 kcal | 282 kcal | 329 kcal | 376 kcal | 423 kcal | 470 kcal |
| Hard13.8 MET | 320 kcal | 384 kcal | 448 kcal | 512 kcal | 576 kcal | 640 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy7 MET | 300 kcal | 360 kcal | 420 kcal | 480 kcal | 540 kcal | 600 kcal |
| Moderate10.4 MET | 470 kcal | 564 kcal | 658 kcal | 752 kcal | 846 kcal | 940 kcal |
| Hard13.8 MET | 640 kcal | 768 kcal | 896 kcal | 1024 kcal | 1152 kcal | 1280 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): (10.4 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 329 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 7 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 10.4 | Effort model |
| Hard | 13.8 | 18270 |
Compendium row for butterfly stroke: code 18270, 13.8 MET.Compendium wording: “Swimming, butterfly, general”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 18270, 18240. They are not separate measurements of butterfly stroke. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does swimming butterfly burn in an hour?
About 658 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 470 kcal and a 100 kg person about 940 kcal.
Does swimming butterfly burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 210 kcal at easy effort, 329 kcal at moderate effort and 448 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 butterfly stroke in Nibbs?
Add Swimming - Butterfly 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 butterfly stroke 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.