How many calories does jump rope burn?

At 11.8 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 413 kcal in thirty minutes. Energy use scales with body weight, so a 90 kg person uses roughly a third more for the same session.

What is the MET value for jump rope?

11.8 METs, listed under Compendium code 15551. A MET is a multiple of resting metabolic rate.

Should I subtract my resting metabolism?

If you are adding this to a maintenance figure that already includes rest, yes. The net figure removes the roughly one MET-hour per hour your body would have spent anyway, which for jump rope leaves about 92 per cent of the gross total.

Why does body weight change the answer?

A MET value is energy per kilogram of body mass, so the same activity costs more for a heavier body. That is why weight is an input rather than an assumption, and why generic calories-burned figures without a weight are close to meaningless.

How accurate is this figure?

It is an estimate from a population average. Published comparisons against indirect calorimetry find individual discrepancies of twenty to thirty per cent, so use it to compare activities rather than as a ledger to eat back.

Calories burned jump rope

This page turns the published MET value for jump rope into an energy figure for your body weight. Heavier bodies use more for the same activity, which is why weight is an input rather than an assumption.

Result

These are estimates from population-level equations, not a measurement of you and not medical advice. Individual results vary widely. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to how you eat or train.

The MET value and where it comes from

MET value: 11.8
Compendium code: 15551
Listed as: Rope jumping, moderate pace, general, 100 to 120 skips/min, 2 foot skip, plain bounce
Category: Gym and studio

Metabolic equivalents express energy cost relative to rest. Jump rope sits at 11.8, which places it toward the demanding end on the range the Compendium covers.

kcal = MET × kg × h
     = 11.8 × weight × hours

net of resting:
kcal = (11.8 − 1) × weight × hours

Source: Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. "2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities." Journal of Sport and Health Science 13(1), 2024, pp. 6–12. MET values are population averages; roughly 18% of Compendium entries are estimated rather than measured.

If you already chose an activity multiplier that assumes you train, adding this figure on top counts jump rope twice. Use the net figure, or set your activity level to sedentary and add sessions separately.

This figure is an estimate built on an average. Two people doing jump rope at the same nominal intensity can differ by twenty per cent or more, and no equation using only weight and time can see that.

Calories burned by body weight and duration

Gross energy in kilocalories. Read across from your weight and down from your duration. A 70 kg person uses about 826 kcal an hour, of which roughly 756 is above what resting would have cost.

Calories burned by body weight and duration
Body weight	15 min	20 min	30 min	45 min	60 min	90 min
55 kg	162	216	325	487	649	974
65 kg	192	256	384	575	767	1,151
75 kg	221	295	443	664	885	1,328
85 kg	251	334	502	752	1,003	1,505
95 kg	280	374	561	841	1,121	1,682
110 kg	325	433	649	974	1,298	1,947

Compared with related activities

Energy used per thirty minutes at 70 kg, so the activities are directly comparable.

Comparison with related activities
Activity	METs	kcal / 30 min
Jump rope	11.8	413
Jump rope, fast	12.3	431
HIIT	11	385
Running at 11 km/h	11	385
Boxing	12.3	431
Stationary cycling	6.8	238

Questions

How many calories does jump rope burn?: At 11.8 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 413 kcal in thirty minutes. Energy use scales with body weight, so a 90 kg person uses roughly a third more for the same session.
What is the MET value for jump rope?: 11.8 METs, listed under Compendium code 15551. A MET is a multiple of resting metabolic rate.
Should I subtract my resting metabolism?: If you are adding this to a maintenance figure that already includes rest, yes. The net figure removes the roughly one MET-hour per hour your body would have spent anyway, which for jump rope leaves about 92 per cent of the gross total.
Why does body weight change the answer?: A MET value is energy per kilogram of body mass, so the same activity costs more for a heavier body. That is why weight is an input rather than an assumption, and why generic calories-burned figures without a weight are close to meaningless.
How accurate is this figure?: It is an estimate from a population average. Published comparisons against indirect calorimetry find individual discrepancies of twenty to thirty per cent, so use it to compare activities rather than as a ledger to eat back.