The Hiking Nutrition Calculator
The Hiking Nutrition Calculator is designed to help you estimate your daily energy needs during a hiking trip. This tool takes into consideration your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the energy expenditure from hiking, and the energy expended during non-hiking activities throughout the day. By calculating your total energy expenditure (TEE), you can better plan your nutrition and fuel your body for optimal performance during your hiking adventures. Please note, this is an estimate of energy needs. For a more accurate assessment consider booking an Adventure Nutrition Strategy Session. This initial consultation is eligible for rebate from most participating health funds.
Hiking Nutrition Calculator
Hiking Fuel: Get it here
HIKING FUEL BUNDLE a series of tools and resources designed specifically to support you on your hiking journey with nutrition.
How to use the Hiking Nutrition Calculator
Follow the steps below to estimate your daily energy needs during your hiking trip.
Remember, this calculator provides an estimation of your energy needs, and individual results may vary. Monitor your energy levels and adjust your calorie intake as needed throughout your hiking trip. For more information about using this calculator and selecting METs and Non-Hiking Activity Factor, see the section below.
1. Weight & Height
Enter your weight in kilograms (kg) and your height in centimeters (cm).
2. Age & Sex
Provide your age in years and select your biological sex (male or female). This differs from gender which is how people identify.
3. Select a MET
Input the MET (metabolic equivalent of task) value that best represents the intensity of your hiking activity. MET is a single number assigned to different types and intensity of hiking (and other physical activity) Both simplified and detailed examples can be found further down this page.
4. Time Spent Hiking
Indicate the duration of your hiking activity in hours. You can use decimal points for partial hours (e.g., 1.5 hours for 1 hour and 30 minutes).
5. Non-Hiking Activities
Choose the non-hiking activity factor that best describes the level of physical activity you'll engage in during your non-hiking time, such as setting up camp or cooking.
6. Calculate
Click the "Calculate Total Energy Requirements" button to view your estimated daily energy requirements. This is how much food you will need for optimal health, performance, and recovery while hiking.
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Understanding METs for Hiking
Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) is a unit of measurement used to quantify the intensity of physical activities, including hiking. A MET value represents the amount of energy expended during a specific activity compared to the energy expended during rest. Understanding MET values can help you estimate your energy expenditure during hiking, allowing you to fuel your body adequately and optimize your performance.
The best resource for METs is the Compendium of Physical Activities: Quantifying Physical Activity Energy Expenditure. This compendium was created to provide a standardized way of measuring and classifying physical activities, allowing researchers and health professionals to assess the energy expenditure and health benefits associated with different activities.
What are METs in the context of hiking? Hiking MET values can vary depending on factors such as the terrain, elevation gain, backpack weight, and individual fitness level. Higher MET values indicate more strenuous activities, while lower MET values represent less intense activities. The intensity of hiking a single trail might vary from person to person, and therefore so does the MET value. Hiking MET values can be useful for estimating the energy expenditure associated with different hiking trails or conditions.
METs can be used to estimate an average of a specific trail based on it's terrain, climate, and how hard the hiking is considered to be. METs can also be used to calculate different levels of energy expenditure on different sections of the track. Although METs are an evidence based form of energy expenditure measurement, they are still an estimation.
To find your MET value, you can use this simple chart. The MET value is one number, so if you see a range such as 4-5 you can select the number that you feel best represents you hiking.
For an extensive list of more detailed MET options, see the lists at the bottom of the page.
Non-Hiking Activity Factor
Using the Non-Hiking Activity Factor is a simple way to estimate your energy requirements for the whole day. METs focus on a single activity, such as the hiking portion of your day. Some methods instruct to add up all of the METs for every single thing you do during the day. While this certainly would be accurate, it is also tedious and extremely time consuming. Instead, we have elected to use the Activity Factors, which is a calculation used in estimating Total Energy Expenditure (TEE).
The goal of the Activity Factor is to estimate how much energy you will need outside of the hiking component of your day.
Non-Hiking Activity Factor Examples
Consider these examples when selecting your Non-Hiking Activity Factor in the Calculator.
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Hiking METs
This is an extensive list of hiking METs to select from. You can use a MET that represents an average of the entire track you will be hiking, or a specific section you are planning for. Experimenting with different METs both while planning and training will give you an idea of your different food energy needs while hiking trails of different levels of difficulty and intensity.
Australian Hikes
METS for well know hiking tracks in Australia. These METs are an average of the entire trail.
Detailed Description
Lengthy list of detailed descriptions of hikes accounting for terrain, conditions, temperature, level of difficulty, and altitude.
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