How many calories does running stairs burn?

At 15 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 525 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 running stairs?

15 METs, listed under Compendium code 12170. 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 running stairs leaves about 93 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 running stairs

Running stairs is rated at 15 METs, meaning it costs about 15 times as much energy per minute as sitting still. Enter your weight and duration to turn that into kilocalories.

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: 15
Compendium code: 12170
Listed as: Running, stairs, up
Category: Running

The Compendium assigns running stairs a value of 15 METs. One MET is what sitting quietly costs, so this activity is about 15 times that per minute of doing it.

kcal = MET × kg × h
     = 15 × weight × hours

net of resting:
kcal = (15 − 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.

The figure above is gross energy — everything spent during the session, including the resting metabolism you would have used anyway. Subtracting one MET-hour per hour gives what running stairs actually added.

The 15 MET figure for running stairs is a population average. The Compendium itself notes that individual energy cost varies with fitness, technique, terrain and body composition, so treat it as an order of magnitude rather than a measurement.

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 1,050 kcal an hour, of which roughly 980 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	206	275	413	619	825	1,238
65 kg	244	325	488	731	975	1,463
75 kg	281	375	563	844	1,125	1,688
85 kg	319	425	638	956	1,275	1,913
95 kg	356	475	713	1,069	1,425	2,138
110 kg	413	550	825	1,238	1,650	2,475

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
Running stairs	15	525
HIIT	11	385
Running at 13 km/h	12	420
Jump rope, fast	12.3	431
Boxing	12.3	431
Jogging	7.5	263

Questions

How many calories does running stairs burn?: At 15 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 525 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 running stairs?: 15 METs, listed under Compendium code 12170. 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 running stairs leaves about 93 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.