Rucking Calorie Calculator – 2025 Guide

A Rucking Calorie Calculator is an online tool that estimates the total calories burned during a rucking workout based on your body weight, rucksack weight, pace, and duration.

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What is Rucking?

Rucking is the act of walking or hiking with a weighted rucksack (backpack). It’s used by military personnel, athletes, and fitness enthusiasts to improve endurance, strength, and cardiovascular health. Carrying extra weight increases the intensity of a walk and burns more calories compared to normal walking.

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Purpose of the Calculator

The Rucking Calorie Calculator helps you:

• Estimate how many calories you burn during a ruck
• Adjust your training intensity
• Plan calorie intake for weight loss, maintenance, or performance goals
• Track workout progress over time

This is especially useful for:

• Military fitness preparation
• Hikers training for long treks
• Athletes adding load-bearing cardio to their routine
• Anyone aiming to lose weight more efficiently

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How to Use the Rucking Calorie Calculator

Step 1: Enter Your Body Weight

Type your body weight in kilograms. This is the foundation for calorie calculations since heavier individuals burn more energy during physical activity.

Step 2: Enter Your Rucksack Weight

Type the weight of your loaded backpack in kilograms. This weight directly affects the intensity of your workout.

Step 3: Enter the Duration

Type how long you plan to ruck, in minutes.

Step 4: Enter Your Pace

Enter your walking speed in kilometers per hour (km/h). Pace affects the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value used in calculations.

Step 5: Click “Calculate Calories Burned”

The calculator will instantly display:

• Total Calories Burned during your ruck

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Example Calculation

Let’s say:

• Body Weight: 75 kg
• Rucksack Weight: 15 kg
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Pace: 5 km/h

Using the calculator:

• MET value at 5 km/h = 7.0
• Extra load increases energy cost
• Calories Burned ≈ 682 kcal

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How the Calculation Works

This calculator uses MET values adjusted for extra load:

javaCopyEditCalories Burned = MET × Body Weight (kg) × Time (hours)

Extra weight is factored in with an extra load multiplier:

javaCopyEditAdjusted MET = Base MET × (1 + (Ruck Weight / Body Weight) × 0.3)

This makes results more accurate than using standard walking estimates.

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FAQ – Rucking Calorie Calculator

Q1: What is MET?
MET stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task, a standard measure of exercise intensity. Higher MET values mean more calories burned.

Q2: How accurate is this calculator?
It gives a good estimate based on research-based MET values, but actual calories may vary based on terrain, weather, personal metabolism, and fitness level.

Q3: Can I use this for hiking without a rucksack?
Yes. Just enter 0 for rucksack weight, and it will give a normal walking calorie estimate.

Q4: Is rucking better than running for weight loss?
Both are effective. Rucking is lower impact than running and builds strength while burning calories, making it ideal for those wanting a full-body workout without joint stress.

Q5: How can I burn more calories when rucking?

• Increase pace
• Add more weight to your rucksack
• Extend your duration
• Choose uphill or uneven terrain

Q6: Does this account for downhill walking?
Not specifically. Downhill walking burns fewer calories than flat or uphill rucking, so results may be slightly overestimated for mostly downhill routes.