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Calcimator

Paddling Calorie Calculator

Estimate calories burned kayaking, canoeing, or SUP paddling using MET values, body weight, duration, and stroke rate.

Inputs

Results

Total calories burned

386

Calories per minute6.4
Effective MET5
Total strokes2,400
Estimated fat burned (g)21.4
Recommended water (L)0.7
Calories Per Stroke0.16
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter your body weight in lbs.
  2. Set the total paddling duration in minutes for your session.
  3. Choose the activity intensity: leisure, moderate, vigorous touring, whitewater, SUP, or racing.
  4. Enter your typical stroke rate in strokes per minute (leisure ~30, moderate ~40, racing ~70+).
  5. Read Total Calories Burned and Calories per Minute to plan your fueling and post-paddle nutrition.
  6. Check Recommended Water (L) to stay properly hydrated throughout the session.

How the result changes with Body weight (lbs)

Body weight (lbs)Total calories burned
95215
208472
343778
4551,032

What each input means

Body weight (lbs)
Your body weight in pounds.
Paddling duration (minutes)
Total paddling time in minutes.
Activity Intensity
Paddling intensity level.
Strokes per minute
Paddling cadence. Leisure ~30, moderate ~40, racing ~70+.

What each result means

Total calories burned
Estimated total caloric expenditure for the session.
Calories per minute
Average burn rate per minute of paddling.
Effective MET
Metabolic Equivalent adjusted for stroke rate.
Total strokes
Estimated total paddle strokes during the session.
Estimated fat burned (g)
Approximate grams of fat metabolized (varies by individual).
Recommended water (L)
Suggested water intake to stay hydrated during the session.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Body weight (lbs) = 170, Paddling duration (minutes) = 60, Activity Intensity = 2, Strokes per minute = 40 = 4 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Total calories burned
    Total calories burned = effectiveMet * weightKg * durationHrs
    386 = 386
  3. Calculate Calories per minute
    Calories per minute = totalCalories / durationMin
    6.4 = 6.4
  4. Calculate Effective MET
    Effective MET = met * max(0.8, min(1.3, strokeAdjustment))
    5 = 5

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