Swimming calories burned
Quick answer
Swimming burns about 245 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 490 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 245 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 490 kcal
- MET used
- 8
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
These numbers use the freestyle rows, which Nibbs also uses for mixed or unknown strokes. Easy is slow, recreational laps, Moderate a medium pace and Hard fast laps.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for swimming. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5.8 MET | 120 kcal | 144 kcal | 168 kcal | 192 kcal | 216 kcal | 240 kcal |
| Moderate8 MET | 175 kcal | 210 kcal | 245 kcal | 280 kcal | 315 kcal | 350 kcal |
| Hard9.8 MET | 220 kcal | 264 kcal | 308 kcal | 352 kcal | 396 kcal | 440 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5.8 MET | 240 kcal | 288 kcal | 336 kcal | 384 kcal | 432 kcal | 480 kcal |
| Moderate8 MET | 350 kcal | 420 kcal | 490 kcal | 560 kcal | 630 kcal | 700 kcal |
| Hard9.8 MET | 440 kcal | 528 kcal | 616 kcal | 704 kcal | 792 kcal | 880 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): (8 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 245 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 5.8 | 18240 |
| Moderate | 8 | Effort model |
| Hard | 9.8 | Effort model |
Compendium row for swimming: code 18240, 5.8 MET.Compendium wording: “Swimming laps, freestyle, slow, recreational”
The Compendium has no row for swimming, so Nibbs uses the row of a similar activity.
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 18240, 18290, 18230. They are not separate measurements of swimming. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does swimming burn in an hour?
About 490 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 350 kcal and a 100 kg person about 700 kcal.
Does swimming burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 168 kcal at easy effort, 245 kcal at moderate effort and 308 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 swimming in Nibbs?
Add Swimming - Mixed or Unspecified Stroke 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 swimming 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.