How many calories are burned cycling: complete guide

Cycling, whether for sport, commuting in the city, or going on weekend trips, is undoubtedly a positive choice, for the planet and also and above all for oneself. The benefits of cycling are numerous: it improves cardiovascular activity, tones and strengthens muscles, reduces stress, and, not least, helps control weight. The latter can be, for many, a great incentive to pedal, but exactly how many calories are burned cycling? First of all, we must say that there is no single and certain answer, as it depends on various factors. And especially for our “belief” and our way of seeing the bicycle… cycling is fun, adrenaline, sport, and friendship! We care little about the kilograms that can be lost. However, it is interesting to discover together the benefits that this means of transport can bring to our body and our physical condition.
Continue reading to find out more!

Physical activity performed on a bicycle, whether it is a road bike, a mountain bike, a gravel bike, or a city bike, allows you to burn calories and thus lose weight.
How?
The activation and contraction of muscles during movement produce an energy expenditure of our body that burns body calories.

The main factors that influence calorie consumption while cycling are:

• Body weight and physique of the cyclist: age, gender, and weight influence the number of calories burned during a sports activity like cycling. The energy expenditure of cyclists differs, for the same distance and speed, depending on the percentage of muscle mass and body fat, hormone levels, and other physiological characteristics of the cyclist.

• Duration: the longer you pedal, the higher the calorie consumption will be, but this must be combined with the intensity of the workout! 

• Intensity: to burn more, high-intensity pedaling is needed, and it can happen that even short but intense rides can burn more calories than long rides at a slower pace.

• Elevation: tackling routes with a good elevation requires more effort from the body, thus increasing calorie consumption.

• Wind: the wind can be an ally or an enemy depending on the direction. Headwinds increase resistance and require more energy to pedal.

1 hour of cycling: how many calories are burned?

A cyclist of average weight (about 70kg) can burn between 400 and 1,000 calories in an hour, specifically depending on the intensity of the workout, the type of bicycle, and weather conditions (e.g., presence of headwind or tailwind). This is an approximate estimate, as the calculation of calories burned during cycling can be done through various mathematical formulas that take into account many variables such as the individual’s body weight, speed, and duration of the activity.

Many athletes wonder whether a nice walk burns more calories or a bike ride does, however, there is no right and unique answer to this question either, as it depends on various factors as previously seen, primarily the characteristics of the person and the parameters of the sporting activity performed (duration, intensity, conditions).

In general, we can state that if we compare, for example, a moderate walk, the calorie consumption per hour is about 250/300 for a subject weighing 70kg, while cycling for an hour at a moderate pace, the same person will achieve a calorie consumption of about 450/500 calories per hour.

It is important to engage in activities consistently and regularly to be fit and to benefit from the "weight loss effect" more successfully.

Given the difficulty in calculating the caloric consumption derived from a sporting activity such as cycling, the most recommended solution to monitor your performance and fitness is to choose a good "wearable" device. Smartwatches are indeed wristwatches that offer endless usage possibilities, responses, and capabilities. The best smartwatches on the market, such as the sports watches from Garmin that you can find at Cicli Mattio, offer the possibility to have real-time estimates based on parameters such as heart rate, pace, and duration of the activity, and by performing advanced calculations, they can provide approximate data on energy expenditure and thus on calorie consumption, already having the characteristics of the cyclist stored in memory. 

Among the best Garmin models, we mention the Fenix and the Instinct, available also in their “Solar” versions, which can recharge thanks to sunlight.

The benefits of cycling are manifold: besides the possibility of losing weight and staying fit, cycling keeps the heart healthy and prevents the onset of cardiovascular diseases, does not harm the joints like other sports but at the same time tones and makes the muscles flexible. And it also boosts mood, keeps you young, and reduces stress! Pedaling can be a moment to be with oneself or with whoever you choose, to set aside worries and focus solely on cycling!