Calories burned
biathlon training
941 kcal / hour Biathlon training burns approximately 941 calories per hour for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, and 470 calories in 30 minutes. Across the normal adult weight range the hourly figure runs from about 672 to 1,613 kcal.
It carries a MET value of 12.8 in the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which lists 2 measured variations of this activity from MET 12.8 to 12.8.
Calories burned biathlon training by body weight
Energy cost scales with the mass you move, so body weight changes the answer more than anything else.
| Body weight | 15 min | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min | 90 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 168 | 336 | 504 | 672 | 1,008 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 202 | 403 | 605 | 806 | 1,210 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 235 | 470 | 706 | 941 | 1,411 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 269 | 538 | 806 | 1,075 | 1,613 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 302 | 605 | 907 | 1,210 | 1,814 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 336 | 672 | 1,008 | 1,344 | 2,016 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 370 | 739 | 1,109 | 1,478 | 2,218 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 403 | 806 | 1,210 | 1,613 | 2,419 |
Figures in kilocalories (the "calories" on food labels). The highlighted row is the 70 kg reference adult used in the headline figure; the highlighted column is one hour.
Every official intensity of biathlon training
The Compendium lists 2 separate biathlon training entries, each with its own measured MET value — from 12.8 to 12.8. Most calculators collapse all of this into one number. Pick the row that matches what you actually did.
| Variation | MET | kcal/hr at 70 kg | kcal/hr at 90 kg | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 degree incline, 8 km/h (5 mph), with/without rifle | 12.8 | 941 | 1,210 | 19142 |
| 5 degree incline, 10.7 km/h (5 mph), with/without rifle | 12.8 | 941 | 1,210 | 19144 |
Codes are 2024 Adult Compendium activity codes. A dash means the code could not be read unambiguously from the published table, so it is left blank rather than guessed — the MET value and description are unaffected.
What 941 calories an hour actually means
At MET 12.8, biathlon training counts as very vigorous activity — it uses about 12.8 times the energy your body burns sitting still. For a 70 kg adult that works out to roughly 16 kcal per minute, or 941 kcal across a full hour.
Within winter activities, that ranks 1st of 14 activities by energy cost — the highest in its group and above rollerskiing (MET 12.3).
Put differently: one hour of biathlon training costs about the same energy as 192 minutes of ordinary walking.
On the food side, a chocolate bar (about 235 kcal) takes roughly 15 minutes of biathlon training to offset at that body weight. That framing is useful for scale, but it is worth saying plainly: exercise and diet are not a ledger that cancels neatly, and appetite tends to rise with activity.
Questions
How many calories does biathlon training burn per hour?
About 941 kcal per hour for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, using the Compendium MET value of 12.8. A 90 kg adult burns closer to 1,210 kcal in the same hour, because energy cost scales almost directly with body mass.
How many calories does 30 minutes of biathlon training burn?
Roughly 470 kcal at 70 kg, 403 kcal at 60 kg and 672 kcal at 100 kg. Halving the time halves the calories — the relationship is linear.
What is the MET value of biathlon training?
12.8, taken as the median of the 2 biathlon training entries in the 2024 Adult Compendium, which range from 12.8 to 12.8 depending on intensity. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, so MET 12.8 means 12.8 times that rate.
Is this an exact number of calories?
No, and no calculator can give you one. MET values are population averages measured in laboratory conditions; your own figure varies with fitness, technique, terrain, temperature and body composition. Treat these numbers as a solid estimate for planning, not a precise measurement — and treat any device or site claiming three-digit precision with suspicion.
Related activities
Three more from winter activities, and three with a similar energy cost from elsewhere in the Compendium.
MET value from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (activity code 19142). Calories computed as MET × 3.5 × weight kg ÷ 200 per minute. General information only — not medical, fitness or nutrition advice. Calorie figures are population estimates and vary between individuals.