How many calories does mountain biking burn?
Mountain biking burns between 200 - 1400 calories per hour. Approximately 680 calories are burned per hour during moderate cross-country singletrack riding.
“A calorie, by its simplest definition, is a unit of energy and is equivalent to 4.184 absolute J. In the popular press and in the labeling of food products in the United States, a food calorie actually refers to a kilocalorie, or 1000 cal. That is, 1 food cal equals 1 kcal, or the amount of energy needed to raise 1 kg water from 15 to 16 °C.”
Numerous variables determine the exact number of calories burned during any bike ride:
Weight of the rider
Gender
Rolling resistance
Surface terrain
Tread pattern
Intensity
Wind
Aerodynamic drag
Gradients
Bike mass
Tire pressure
Clipless pedals
Biking posture
Tire diameter
Wheel width
Suspension(s)
Altitude.
Adjusting for all these factors is nearly impossible, but we break down as many of the variables as we can in this article.
weight of the cyclist/rider
A calorie is simply a unit of energy. The number of calories burned is a measure of the energy required to move the body. Larger people use more energy to move their bodies, which means heavier people burn more calories even at the same intensity of smaller people.
As you can see from the chart below, a 130-pound rider burns 472 calories at a moderate intensity, while a 190-pound biker burns 690 calories at the same intensity.
Calories burned per hour while biking
differences between 26ers & 29ers
A 2017 study from the International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences looked at the energy expenditure during mountain bike trail riding between bikes with 26-inch wheels and bikes with 29-inch wheels. The researchers found:
29ers had 9% lower energy expenditure compared to the 26ers
The researchers noted that the biggest difference was observed during uphill sections, where the 29er was significantly more efficient. On uphill segments the researchers found that 29ers had approximately:
7% faster times and speeds
10.4% lower caloric expenditure
No differences between calories burned or any other measurable variable for downhill sections with respect to MTB wheel size.
Larger wheels have lower rolling resistance than smaller wheels.
29ers are more efficient than both 27.5 and 26ers
Larger tires also have a higher rotating mass
This means mountain bikes with 29-inch tires hold their momentum over rough and rocky terrain better, resulting in less energy expended (fewer calories)
Calories burned/hour & bike tire size during different gradient segments
bicyle suspension and calories
A 2017 study looked at hardtail versus full suspension bikes and the physiological differences and concluded no noticeable difference. This study also investigated overall performance differences between hardtail and suspension bikes and also determined that both bikes are equal.
Surface Terrain & intensities
Sand, grass, and gravel surface's all worsen rolling resistance, which results in a higher expenditure of energy to maintain comparable velocity. Sand surface riding is by far the most exhaustive and increases rolling resistance by a factor of 4.5 to 15 times that of gravel, grass, or pavement.
Grass and rocky terrain also increase rolling resistance, resulting in pedaling at a higher intensity with more calories burned. At this time, little research is available that looks at surface terrain variables and calorie expenditure.
One doesn’t need a study to tell them that riding over rocks/logs, through gravel/sand, and other surfaces use more energy, but it would be interesting to see exact measurements.
Are Clipless Pedals more efficient?
Several studies have looked at cycle shoes with clipless pedals and have found that while they may improve comfort or safety, they do not enhance efficiency.
One of the studies even compared elite vs average cyclists and found no difference in pedal efficiency. Choosing a clipless pedal system is a personal choice, yet with regards to energy expenditure and caloric consumption, it appears the research is pretty clear.
Mountain biking compared to other activities
average Calories expended during moderate activity ("Normal" weight participant)
“Bikram Yoga burns 170 calories per hour ”
Mountain biking, hiking, road cycling, and running are all very similar in terms of caloric expenditure.
Studies consistently show these recreational activities burn around 600-700 calories per hour at a moderate level of intensity.
Hiking generally has a higher net caloric expenditure since many hiking trails have a greater gradient compared to many bike trails, forest roads, and running paths.
Calories burned by a 100 pound person during outdoor activities
Compared to other outdoor recreational activities MTB is near the top of calories consumed. Activates such as rock climbing and cross-country skiing are near-identical, but nearly over 20 percent more calories compared to downhill skiing.
For many activities, the primary factor for calories expended is participant intensity, yet biking uphill is challenging regardless of upward velocity and intensity intent, as any mountain biker can attest to.
Calories burned/hour for 155 pound adult
This last graph illustrates calories consumed for a person weighing 155 pounds or 70 kilograms. The jogger/runner in this example is running at 6 mph, which is a 10-minute mile pace. The jogger in this particular graph is operating at a higher intensity than the recreational MTBer.
Mountain biking and other outdoor activities are about the enjoyment of the activity and not necessarily about the calories. However, for people that are curious, this article examined factors that relate to the number of calories burned during mountain bike riding.
The level of intensity, size of rider, and gradient of terrain are the largest factors in determining the caloric expenditure for the ride. Many apps are available, which are fairly accurate if properly calibrated.
However, so many variables determine precise measurements, it is nearly impossible to create any general formula with an overarching level of accuracy.
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Jesse is the Director of Pedal Chile and lives in La Patagonia. Jesse has a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance and is an avid MTBer. Jesse enjoys reading books, particularly non-fiction and academic studies. Favorite MTB trail? The singletrack on the active volcano in Chile.
Sources:
Buchholz, A.C. and Schoeller, D.A. (2004). Is a calorie a calorie? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79(5), pp.899S-906S.
E. Taylor, J., Thomas, C. and W. Manning, J. (2017). Impact of Wheel Size on Energy Expenditure during Mountain Bike Trail Riding. International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, [online] 5(4), pp.77–84.
Footwear Science. (2016). Effects of shoe type and shoe–pedal interface on the metabolic cost of bicycling.
Journal of Sports Sciences. (2017). The impact of uphill cycling and bicycle suspension on downhill performance during cross-country mountain biking.
Mornieux, G., Stapelfeldt, B., Gollhofer, A. and Belli, A. (2008). Effects of Pedal Type and Pull-Up Action during Cycling. International Journal of Sports Medicine, [online] 29(10), pp.817–822. link
Moseley, D., Connolly, T., Sing, L. and Watts, K. (2018). Developing an indicator for the physical health benefits of recreation in woodlands. Ecosystem Services, 31, pp.420–432.
Pate, J.L. and Buono, M.J. (2014). The physiological responses to Bikram yoga in novice and experienced practitioners. Alternative therapies in health and medicine.
Rendos, N.K., Musto, A.A. and Signorile, J.F. (2015). Interactive Effects of Body Position and Perceived Exertion During Spinning Exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, [online] 29(3), pp.692–699. link
Wolf, I.D. and Wohlfart, T. (2014). Walking, hiking and running in parks: A multidisciplinary assessment of health and well-being benefits. Landscape and Urban Planning, 130, pp.89–103.
Zhan, A., Chang, M., Chen, Y. and Terzis, A. (n.d.). Accurate Caloric Expenditure of Bicyclists using Cellphones.