You love the challenge and energy of your indoor cycling workouts, but you’re unsure how much they’re moving you toward your fitness goals. If you’re someone who likes to understand how much you’re eating and burning in a day, you’re probably wondering what number of calories are burned cycling (in a mean indoor cycling session).
Here’s what to know in regards to the calorie burn of your cycling workouts.
Calories Burned Indoor Cycling
How many calories burned cycling, running, or some other exercise can vary from individual to individual and from workout to workout. But here’s a take a look at what number of approximate calories you possibly can expect to burn in a given cycling workout based in your body weight and workout intensity.
Light to moderate effort (51 to 89 watts) for 1 hour:
| Weight | 100 lbs | 125 lbs | 150 lbs | 175 lbs | 200 lbs | 225 lbs | 250 lbs |
| Calories | 218 | 273 | 327 | 382 | 436 | 491 | 546 |
Moderate to vigorous effort (90 to 100 watts) for 1 hour:
| Weight | 100 lbs | 125 lbs | 150 lbs | 175 lbs | 200 lbs | 225 lbs | 250 lbs |
| Calories | 309 | 386 | 464 | 541 | 618 | 696 | 773 |
Vigorous effort (101 to 160 watts) for 1 hour:
| Weight | 100 lbs | 125 lbs | 150 lbs | 175 lbs | 200 lbs | 225 lbs | 250 lbs |
| Calories | 400 | 500 | 600 | 700 | 800 | 900 | 1,000 |
If you wish to get a more accurate read on what number of calories you burn during your ride, it’s best to make use of a heart rate tracker. That’s why the BODi Bike comes with a Polar OH1 Heart Rate Monitor to enable you get a precise measurement of calories burned in each of your personalized heart rate zones.
How to Choose the Right Intensity for a Cycling Class
Your intensity level will affect the quantity of calories you burn during your indoor cycling class, but you don’t need to ramp things up too quickly.
If you’re a beginner and may’t join a beginner class, “get as near what the trainer is looking out as you possibly can, and construct up strength and endurance over time,” says Alex Joy Pucci, CPTwho’s taught indoor cycling for nearly a decade. You know your body best, so if something feels too difficult, back off a bit in speed or resistance.
If you will have to dial way back, that’s OK. “No cycling instructor expects someone recent to crush it on the primary try,” says Pucci. “Be patient with yourself.”
And don’t be afraid to tailor a category to your personal energy levels. “Your speed, your power output, your resistance are all as much as you at the top of the day,” she says. “The smartest thing about indoor cycling is that you simply’re on top of things.”
Does Your Weight Matter in Indoor Cycling?
Weight and body composition will all the time impact your calorie burn. “People who’re heavier or more muscular generally burn more calories,” Pucci explains. Men may even often torch more calories during an indoor cycling session than women, she adds.
The reason is straightforward: The larger you’re, the more energy expenditure your body requires.
Other aspects corresponding to genetics and fitness level may also impact what number of calories you burn. “As you get a bit healthier and your body becomes more efficient, you would possibly burn fewer calories doing the identical workout than if you began,” Pucci adds.
You’ll also burn fewer calories should you shed extra pounds since your body requires less energy to maneuver. But this, too, can vary, says Pucci. “I prefer to remind my clients that everyone and every person is a bit different,” she says.
Calories Burned on a Stationary Bicycle vs Road Bike
On average, outdoor cycling burns the same amount of calories as indoor cycling. But, again, there are quite a lot of various factors here. A 150-pound person will burn roughly 453 calories during 50 minutes of out of doors cycling in the event that they’re going 12 to 13 miles per hour. Cycling outside at 5.5 mph will burn about 226 calories in the identical period of time.
(To get essentially the most precise comparison between indoor and outdoor cycling, nevertheless, you’d need to make use of an influence meter to find out your watts.)
The amount of calories you burn while outdoor cycling is determined by not only your speed, but in addition the terrain. You’d have to put more effort behind your pedaling to stand up hills than you’ll while cycling down a flat street.
One small study found that participants cycled harder outdoors than indoors, even after they felt like they were putting in the identical effort in each situations. The increased effort would end in a better calorie burn.
Ultimately, the difference may not matter should you’re more more likely to show up for indoor cycling workouts.