How many calories does stair machine burn?

At 9.3 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 326 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 stair machine?

9.3 METs, listed under Compendium code 02065. 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 stair machine leaves about 89 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 stair machine

Work out how much energy stair machine uses for your body weight and how long you do it. The figure comes from the activity’s metabolic equivalent, published in the Compendium of Physical Activities.

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: 9.3
Compendium code: 02065
Listed as: Stair treadmill ergometer, general
Category: Gym and studio

A MET is a multiple of resting metabolic rate, defined as an oxygen uptake of 3.5 millilitres per kilogram per minute. At 9.3 METs, stair machine costs roughly 9.3 times what your body spends at rest.

kcal = MET × kg × h
     = 9.3 × weight × hours

net of resting:
kcal = (9.3 − 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.

Your body spends energy whether or not you do stair machine. The net figure removes that baseline, and it is the honest number if you are adding this on top of a maintenance estimate.

Read the result as approximate. Published comparisons of MET-derived estimates against indirect calorimetry commonly find individual discrepancies of twenty to thirty per cent, and stair machine is no exception.

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 651 kcal an hour, of which roughly 581 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	128	171	256	384	512	767
65 kg	151	202	302	453	605	907
75 kg	174	233	349	523	698	1,046
85 kg	198	264	395	593	791	1,186
95 kg	221	295	442	663	884	1,325
110 kg	256	341	512	767	1,023	1,535

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
Stair machine	9.3	326
Rowing machine	7.3	256
HIIT	11	385
Running at 11 km/h	11	385
Stationary cycling	6.8	238
Indoor cycling class	8	280

Questions

How many calories does stair machine burn?: At 9.3 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 326 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 stair machine?: 9.3 METs, listed under Compendium code 02065. 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 stair machine leaves about 89 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.