Ruck Calorie Calculator
Calories burned rucking with load, pace and grade.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Calories burned
- 481 kcal
- Per minute
- 8.02 kcal/min
- Per hour
- 481 kcal/hr
- Distance covered
- 3.5 mi
- Load as % bodyweight
- 19.4%
- Power output
- 560 W
Quick answer
Rucking burns roughly 40–60% more calories than walking the same distance, scaling with pack weight, pace and terrain grade.
Pandolf load-carriage energy expenditure
How to use the Ruck Calorie Calculator
- 1Enter your body weight and pack weight.
- 2Set your ruck pace and the average grade.
- 3Pick the terrain and enter the duration.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Body weight180 lb
- Pack weight35 lb
- Speed3.5 mph
- Grade0 %
- Duration60 min
- TerrainDirt road
Results
- Calories burned481 kcal
- Per minute8.02 kcal/min
- Per hour481 kcal/hr
- Distance covered3.5 mi
- Load as % bodyweight19.4%
- Power output560 W
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does rucking burn?
A 180 lb person with a 35 lb pack at 3.5 mph burns roughly 500–600 calories an hour on a dirt road.
How heavy should a ruck be?
Start at 10% of body weight and build toward 20–30% as your posture, feet and back adapt.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.