30 minutes of
carrying load
294 kcal 30 minutes of carrying load burns approximately 294 calories for a 70 kg adult, based on a MET value of 8. Heavier bodies burn proportionally more: 378 kcal at 90 kg, 462 kcal at 110 kg.
SOURCE·2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities·REVIEWED JUL 2026
MET 8 × 3.5 × 70 kg ÷ 200 = 9.80 kcal/min × 30 min = 294 kcal
Source—2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities—code 17026—ACSM energy equation—retrieved 2026-07
How this is worked out
- Take the MET value for carrying load from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: MET 8, the median of its 5 measured variations (MET 5.5–12).
- Convert MET to a rate using the ACSM relationship: multiply by 3.5, then by body mass in kilograms, then divide by 200. That gives kilocalories per minute.
- Multiply the rate by the number of minutes actually spent.
- Round to whole kilocalories. Nothing else is applied — no age factor, no sex factor, no proprietary adjustment, because the underlying data does not support one.
kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × mass(kg) ÷ 200 kcal = kcal/min × minutes 8 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 9.80 kcal/min 9.80 × 30 min = 294 kcal
30 minutes of carrying load, by body weight
| Body weight | 30 minutes | Per minute |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 210 | 7.0 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 252 | 8.4 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 294 | 9.8 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 336 | 11.2 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 378 | 12.6 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 420 | 14.0 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 462 | 15.4 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 504 | 16.8 |
SOURCE·2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Questions
How many calories does 30 minutes of carrying load burn?
About 294 kcal for a 70 kg adult at MET 8. At 60 kg it is 252 kcal and at 100 kg it is 420 kcal.
Is 30 minutes of carrying load a good workout?
At MET 8 this is vigorous activity. Adults are advised to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, so 30 minutes is 40% of a week's target at that intensity.
A number this clean is a model. It does not know your gradient, your gear, the wind, or how hard you were actually trying.
MET from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. General information only — not medical, fitness or nutrition advice. Calorie figures are population estimates and vary between individuals.
